Chapter 442: The Ardent Sun

By the time Leon Drakar entered the Adventurer Guild, Sage already knew his name.

Leon Drakar was twenty-seven years old, a Six-Star Grandmaster Knight, and Captain of the Ardent Sun Knight Order, one of the ten most respected Knight Orders operating within the Capital.

Over the previous two weeks, seventeen Ardent Sun Knights had registered as Adventurers, while considerably more had paid to use the Mana Cultivation Tower.

The man walking through the Grand Guild Hall wore no ceremonial armor and brought no escort. He was tall, broad-shouldered and dressed in a fitted black tunic beneath a dark red traveling coat.

A longsword hung at his waist, its plain black scabbard almost disappointing considering the reputation of its owner. His dark hair had been cut short, and a thin scar passed through his right eyebrow. Nothing about him demanded attention deliberately, yet Warriors moved aside as he crossed the hall.

Boren noticed him first and quietly informed Sage, "That is Leon Drakar. Unless the Capital has somehow produced two men with that face."

Sage looked up from the document he had been reading. "You know him?"

Boren shook his head. "Know of him. Everyone who spends enough time around Warriors does. Six-Star Grandmaster before thirty, Captain of Ardent Sun, and apparently not fond of wasting words."

Mina, seated nearby, immediately looked interested.

"Is he stronger than Valeria?" she asked, leaning sideways to get a better look at the approaching Knight.

Boren gave her a sideways glance and asked why that was always her first question whenever she heard about someone powerful. Mina answered with complete seriousness that strength was important, but before Boren could argue, Leon reached them. His gaze moved briefly across Mina and Boren before settling on Sage.

"Guildmaster Alistair?" Leon asked, stopping before the table.

Sage rose and extended a hand. "Captain Drakar. I was wondering when I’d meet you."

Leon accepted it. His grip was firm without becoming the childish contest of strength Sage had experienced from other Warriors.

"Then my Knights have been causing enough trouble for you to notice them," Leon remarked, releasing his hand.

"Seventeen of them have registered," Sage replied. "More keep using my Mana Tower. They’re difficult to miss."

Leon pulled out the chair Sage offered and sat. "That’s why I’m here. Several of my Knights have developed a habit of disappearing here whenever they’re off duty. I decided I should finally see what keeps stealing them."

Sage sat opposite him while Boren remained nearby. "Most commanders would sound angrier when saying that."

Leon rested one forearm against the chair and frowned slightly. "Why would I be angry?" The reaction told Sage something: Leon had come to judge the Guild for himself, not to confirm an opinion he had already formed.

"Because another organization is giving your Knights missions, training facilities and benefits. The mercenary companies certainly aren’t pleased about their people registering here. Some commanders see the Guild as competition for loyalty."

Leon listened without interrupting, then shook his head. "My Knights haven’t left Ardent Sun. They train when they’re supposed to train, answer when they’re called and complete their duties. If one spends his free day completing a Guild mission instead of drinking himself unconscious in a tavern, why should that threaten me?"

Sage smiled. "It shouldn’t."

"Exactly," Leon replied. "If they begin neglecting Ardent Sun duties, then I have a discipline problem. Until then, I have Knights voluntarily gaining experience."

Sage asked what had first caught his attention, and Leon answered without hesitation. "The Mana Tower. One of my men has been stuck at the peak of Three-Star for almost two years. He used your Tower four times and told me his mana circulation felt cleaner afterward. Another came back complaining that the fifth cultivation chamber was trying to kill him, then returned the next morning before sunrise."

Mina grinned from beside Boren. "That means he liked it."

Leon turned toward her and nodded thoughtfully. "That was my conclusion too."

Mina smiled with immediate approval. "You’re smarter than Lucan."

Sage rubbed his forehead. "Mina, don’t start."

Leon glanced between them. "Lucan Auremont?"

Mina eagerly explained that Lucan was the first Capital Adventurer and was currently obsessed with completing missions because Gregor, the world’s first Adventurer, was ahead of him.

Sage saw the familiar mischievous expression spreading across her face and told her to let their guest survive five minutes before dragging him into Lucan’s rivalry. Leon gave a quiet laugh and admitted he had met Lucan twice, which was enough for him to believe every word Mina had said.

Leon soon returned to his purpose. He asked Sage how the Mana Tower determined suitable cultivation pressure, what happened when a Warrior exceeded his limit, and whether Knights from competing organizations could use the facility simultaneously.

Sage answered what he could.

The Tower’s formations adjusted conditions according to the chamber and protected users from catastrophic injury, though pain and exhaustion remained real. Membership didn’t require loyalty to the Guild, and Sage wouldn’t deny someone entry merely because another Adventurer belonged to a rival organization.

Leon considered that carefully. "You really don’t demand exclusivity."

"No," Sage answered, meeting his gaze. "An Adventurer isn’t my soldier. Registering means the Guild records their work, gives them access to services and allows them to accept missions under our rules. If they belong to a Knight Order, mercenary company or noble House, that’s their business unless it conflicts with a mission they’ve accepted."

Leon looked toward the crowded hall below. "That’s one reason this place is spreading so quickly. Warriors dislike being trapped. Mercenary contracts can bind them, noble service binds them, and Knight Orders demand discipline. Your Guild asks them to follow its rules while using its services, but it doesn’t demand the rest of their lives."

Sage studied him for a moment. "You’ve thought about this more than someone who came here merely because his Knights keep disappearing."

Leon met his gaze calmly. "I investigate anything that affects my Order."

Sage offered to show him the Complex personally, and Leon accepted. They began with the Mission Hall, where Warriors crowded around newly posted requests. Leon watched them for several minutes before asking how the Guild prevented people from accepting work beyond their abilities.

Sage explained that Warrior strength, previous experience, party composition and mission danger were considered separately from Adventurer Rank. A Bronze Adventurer could be an extremely powerful Warrior, but strength didn’t automatically prove reliability within the Guild.

Leon stopped walking. "If I registered today, I’d be Bronze?"

Sage nodded. "You would."

Boren watched Leon carefully, perhaps expecting offense, but Leon instead smiled. "Good. If you gave me a high Adventurer Rank because I’m a Grandmaster Knight, your Rank would mean nothing. I already have a Warrior Rank telling people how strong I am. There would be no point creating another system merely to repeat it."

From there they visited the Exchange, training grounds and the entrance to the Mana Tower. Several Ardent Sun Knights were waiting in line there, and their expressions became memorable when they noticed their Captain approaching.

One young Knight immediately straightened and greeted him, looking as though he had been caught stealing.

Leon glanced at the cultivation token in the young man’s hand and asked, "You’re off duty today, aren’t you?"

The Knight nodded quickly. "Yes, Captain."

"Then stop looking guilty," Leon told him, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "You’re cultivating, not committing a crime."

At the Tower entrance, Leon finally allowed his curiosity to become personal. He looked toward the stairs and asked Sage, "Can I try it myself?"

Sage smiled. "Of course. You don’t need to be an Adventurer to use the Tower."

"Then I’ll see whether my men have been exaggerating," Leon said before paying the required fee and entering.

He disappeared inside for nearly three hours.

When Leon emerged, sweat darkened the collar of his tunic and several strands of hair clung to his forehead. Mina had returned specifically because she wanted to see his reaction. She hurried over and asked with obvious amusement whether the Tower had tried to kill him too.

Leon wiped his face with a cloth before answering her. "No, but I understand why my Knights keep coming back."

Sage folded his arms. "Still think I’m stealing them?"

Leon looked toward several Ardent Sun members waiting for their turns, then returned his attention to Sage. "No. I think you’ve built something useful enough that I’d be an idiot to stop them from using it."

He extended his hand, and Sage accepted it.