At the southern edge of the Brivant estate, in the heart of a magnificent city, a massive tower stood tall, leaving the mercenaries gaping in awe. "Wow... This is the Tower of the Crimson Flame?" "I've never been here before either." "It looks even more luxurious than Rayfold!" "They say the Crimson Tower is the best, but this place doesn't look like it's losing out." Though it had been overshadowed by the Tower of the Scarlet Flame, the Tower of the Crimson Flame was still an impressive sight. Around the tower, numerous shops had sprouted, eventually forming an entire city catering to the needs of the mages. The security system that the Crimson Tower had set up to protect itself also safeguarded the surrounding area and the Brivant estate. It was thanks to the tower that the Brivant estate had flourished so much. The Count of Brivant was said to live cautiously, constantly mindful of the tower’s influence, a testament to its overwhelming power. Ghislain surveyed the area with a relaxed air, though inwardly, he couldn’t help but be impressed. "Remarkable." The city's appearance was impressive, but what struck him more was the attitude of the people. Despite the rough-looking group of mercenaries roaming the streets, no one seemed particularly frightened or threatened. The fact that the citizens weren’t scared revealed just how secure the city was. The level of awareness among the populace was high. Ghislain had visited other cities with towers during his time as a mercenary king, but none had developed as much as Brivant. "The security, the layout, and... how clean the streets and the people are. I wonder if the tower had a hand in this." Typically, mages were obsessed with their research and rarely involved themselves in matters that benefited the common people. While cities surrounding towers often developed quickly due to commerce with mages, the cleanliness and order in Brivant were exceptional. "Maybe the rumors about the tower master being a neat freak are true." There was a possibility that the master of the Crimson Tower had an obsession with cleanliness and had taken steps to maintain the area. Or perhaps he had simply become so engrossed in playing the role of a lord that he had developed the estate. Whatever the reason, as someone planning to develop his own territory, Ghislain found much to learn from the city. "Wow, this place must be filthy rich." "All the houses look like noble estates!" "Look at these streets. It’s like they built the whole city from scratch." The people of Brivant all dressed in luxurious clothing and carried a faint fragrance as they passed by, exuding an air of nobility. They glanced curiously at the group of mercenaries, who in turn felt somewhat self-conscious. Usually, the mercenaries would walk the streets with confidence, but here, the opulence and sophistication of the city made them feel out of place. "Damn, we look like country bumpkins." Despite their grumbling, the mercenaries couldn’t help but gawk at the sights around them. The scene was something they’d never witnessed, not even in wealthy Rayfold. As the mercenaries admired the city, they overheard the locals whispering. "Are those mercenaries from the north? Just look at those shabby clothes." "They smell like they haven’t bathed in weeks, don’t they?" "We’re just used to cleanliness. Everyone else lives like that. Poor things." "What are they even doing here?" The mercenaries blushed in embarrassment. Normally, they would have responded by glaring and possibly starting a fight, but the grandeur of the city and the refined demeanor of its citizens made them hold back. Still, not everyone could hold their temper. "Hey! What did you just say? Want to die?!" Several members of the Cerberus Mercenary Corps drew their weapons and began threatening the passersby. The groups of onlookers flinched and stepped back, but even as they retreated, they didn’t seem particularly frightened. "My, how vulgar." "They probably weren’t raised right. Poor things." "Where do they think they are, starting trouble in a place like this?" "One more look, and we might have a murder on our hands." One of the Cerberus mercenaries gritted his teeth, ready to charge at the bystanders, but Ghislain intervened firmly. "Enough. Don’t let their words get to you. Just keep moving." "But, boss! They’re insulting us!" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 "We are bumpkins. Let’s just enjoy the sights." Ghislain chuckled, and Kaor glared at the mercenaries as if daring them to act out of line. The mercenaries grimaced but kept their mouths shut. Normally, people either cowered in fear or gave them a wide berth, but here they were met with scorn. It was infuriating, but with Ghislain and Kaor holding them back, they couldn’t act on their anger. Heads hung low, the group trudged toward the tower, feeling like they had become a spectacle for the locals. However, as they neared the tower, the sheer size and magnificence of it once again left the mercenaries in awe, their jaws dropping. "Impressive..." Ghislain shook his head as he followed the mercenaries, amused by how easily they were amazed. Meanwhile, the gatekeeper guarding the tower’s entrance narrowed his eyes as he watched the group approach. "Is this some kind of group tour? They don’t look too well off." His assumption was simple. Nobles often visited the city to meet with mages or tour the tower. The fact that there were so many of them made him think they were either tourists or merchants. But as the group drew closer, the gatekeeper’s expression soured. Their clothes were too shabby, and their faces too rough for them to be tourists. If they were nobles or a large merchant company, he would have greeted them with a smile, but he saw no reason to bother with these scruffy types. Though he was only a gatekeeper, he considered himself the face of the tower. He couldn’t let himself be seen treating riffraff kindly, or it would tarnish the tower’s reputation. In reality, he was just a commoner, but with the tower behind him, he felt emboldened. "Better to be a noble’s dog than to live without power." As the group came close enough for him to see their faces and the carts they were hauling, the gatekeeper realized their purpose. "Looks like they’ve brought something to sell. No surprise." Sometimes, mercenaries or adventurers would come to the tower, claiming to have found rare items to sell. It wasn’t common for such a large group to arrive all at once, but it wasn’t unheard of. Seeing their ragged appearance, the gatekeeper surmised they were carrying monster parts or other spoils. "Hmph, judging by the shape of the carts under the cloth, it’s not wood. Must be monster parts." The gatekeeper clicked his tongue. Though the Crimson Tower had lost its position as the number one tower, it had once been the wealthiest and most prestigious. The mages here had refined tastes and only dealt in the finest materials. They had exclusive contracts with suppliers for rare goods, so there was no need to buy from random mercenaries. "It’ll be better to send them away." The gatekeeper prepared to dismiss them as Ghislain and his group approached. As soon as they reached the tower’s entrance, Ghislain dismounted and began walking forward confidently. Before he could get too far, Belinda quickly grabbed his arm in alarm. "Where are you going? Let Gillian handle this!" Ghislain turned to her, frowning slightly. "Do I really have to? I ended up handling everything in Rayfold too." "That was then! You can’t just step up every time." Belinda clung to Ghislain’s arm, casting a pleading glance at Gillian. Silently, Gillian walked up to the gatekeeper. "This man is the Archduke of Ferdiem—" "We’re not buying." "What?" "I said, we’re not buying anything." The gatekeeper’s expression was arrogant, his tone dismissive. If he had thought Ghislain’s group were nobles, his attitude would have been vastly different. But since he had pegged them as mercenaries, he saw no reason to show respect. Behind Gillian, Ghislain crossed his arms and sighed inwardly. Looking shabby always leads to being underestimated. During his time as the Mercenary King, no one dared ignore him, even when he dressed casually and his men appeared scruffy. Just the sight of his flag would make people bow their heads or avoid him altogether. But now, not only was he no longer the Mercenary King, even the name Ferdiem was relatively unknown. Appearance was everything. "Seems like I’ll need to dress the part once we have the funds." He couldn’t blame the gatekeeper. Judging people by their looks was natural. Back when he was the Mercenary King, people recognized his banner, not his clothes. But that didn’t mean Ghislain had the patience to waste time arguing at the gate. Ghislain stepped forward. "I don’t want to waste time arguing with a gatekeeper. Call your tower’s trade representative. No, better yet, fetch the tower master." The gatekeeper looked at Ghislain as if he had gone mad. "We’re not buying anything, I said! The Crimson Tower doesn’t deal in just any old junk. And you think you can meet the tower master? Even the lord of Brivant has to schedule an appointment." Gillian, unable to tolerate the gatekeeper’s insolence any longer, growled. "You’re quite bold for a mere gatekeeper. Do you have a death wish? Fetch someone now!" Startled by Gillian’s threatening demeanor, the gatekeeper hesitated, but quickly shook it off. "Don’t be afraid! You’re the face of the tower!" He reminded himself that just a few mages from the tower could easily deal with these ragtag mercenaries. "Do you have any idea where you are? You should leave at once!" Watching the gatekeeper’s outburst, Ghislain sighed. "We’re not going to get in at this rate." He motioned to Kaor, who subtly retrieved a small piece of runestone from one of the carts and handed it to Ghislain. Kaor had been careful not to reveal the full contents of the carts to avoid drawing unwanted attention. "So, the captain does have some sense." Ghislain smiled to himself as he took the runestone and held it up in front of the gatekeeper’s face. "You work for the tower, so you should know what this is. We’re here to sell it." The gatekeeper examined the glowing stone. The faint light emanating from the crystal-like surface seemed to enchant him. His brow furrowed for a moment before his eyes widened in shock. He recognized the runestone. Frozen in place, the gatekeeper stared, speechless, as Ghislain gave a mischievous smile and spoke again. "Still not interested? Really? Should I leave now?" The gatekeeper snapped back to his senses as if doused with cold water. The tower’s mages were already upset about being overshadowed by the Tower of the Scarlet Flame. If word got out that he had turned away someone bringing in this much runestone, it wouldn’t just be his job on the line—it would be his neck. Frantically waving his hands, the gatekeeper stammered. "P-Please wait! Come inside! Right away, please!" He didn’t even need to check the rest of the carts to be certain they were filled with more runestones. He was too terrified to care about anything else. As Ghislain passed by the now obsequious gatekeeper, he lightly patted him on the shoulder. "I’ll be sure to let the tower master know you’re doing a great job."