I Became the Black Knight

Dale asked,

"What exactly do you want me to do? Rescue the mercenaries? Or eliminate the enemies there?"

"I'll leave that entirely to your judgment, Sir Dale."

"You're leaving it to me?"

Garand nodded.

"The guild currently has no specific information about the situation. How could we possibly give precise instructions under such circumstances? There's no choice but to rely on your judgment in the field."

Garand continued,

"If the mercenaries are being held captive, it's fine to prioritize their rescue. If that's not possible, just identifying the enemy's identity and returning is enough. And if the opportunity presents itself, you're allowed to kill them."

Dale lightly tapped the table with his fingers.

"'Rely on my field judgment,' huh."

Seeing the hesitation on Dale's face, Garand reassured him.

"Of course, whatever decision you make in the field, you won't be held accountable for it."

"This kind of request doesn't seem all that common."

"No, most mercenaries tend to avoid it. More than anything, it's because they can't gauge the level of risk involved."

They didn't even know who the enemy was. Or how strong they were.

It was like walking blindly into the jaws of a beast.

If the beast was weaker, you survived. If it was stronger, you got devoured.

No mercenary would welcome a request like this—Unless the reward was enough to make them lose their mind.

But the seasoned Garand explained before Dale could even raise the question.

"For your information, the reward will vary depending on how much of the request you fulfill. But I assure you, it won't be a disappointing sum. I stake my name on that. And since this is a job everyone avoids, the performance credit will be set generously too."

Generous performance credit.

In other words, a faster promotion in mercenary rank.

"Credit and money, huh."

For the average mercenary, that still wouldn't be enough.

A vague promise of 'not disappointing' just wasn't convincing.

But Dale was different.

He wasn't in a position to pick and choose requests, and dangerous enemies were exactly what he was looking for.

"It's not like I'll run into someone so strong I can't even escape."

Unless it was a demon—And that was unlikely.

After a brief moment of thought, Dale made up his mind.

"I'll take it. Can I start right away?"

"I knew you'd say that, Sir Dale."

"You haven't recruited any other mercenaries?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'm afraid you'll have to assemble your own team."

Dale paused.

They wanted him to gather a team? Honestly, smashing a demon's skull right now felt more realistic.

"What if I just go alone…"

"Absolutely not."

A firm reply.

Garand responded with a serious tone.

"Combat is full of variables. You never know what might happen. There are situations that simply can't be handled alone. That's why higher-ranked adventurers usually operate in teams—With the rare exception of people like the Mercenary King."

Dale understood exactly what Garand meant.

He had once raised a mercenary character in a game. Back then, he'd deliberately played with a lone-wolf concept, minimizing party play. It taught him just how dangerous it could be to venture out alone.

'But it's not like I'm insisting on going solo on purpose…'

Of course, if there were decent people around, teaming up would be easier.

But he was the Black Knight.

Recruiting people wouldn't be easy.

Then Dale realized something.

"Are you testing me?"

A subtle glint flickered in Garand's eyes.

"...May I ask why you think that?"

"It's just... saying you'll leave everything to my judgment in the field, or pushing me to form a team—

It all feels like I'm being evaluated."

Garand took a sip of tea, then shook his head.

"Sir Dale, you keep surprising me. Yes, you're right. This request is largely meant as a test. When someone notable joins the Mercenary Guild, we first have to assess them."

"To see whether they're someone we can entrust with requests?"

"Exactly."

Deploying the right mercenary to the right job—that was the guild's role.

"Encouraging you to form a team was part of that evaluation as well. We give higher marks to mercenaries who can work well with others."

"I see."

Garand glanced at Dale, gauging his reaction.

"Did I offend you? To make a small excuse, the order came from above. The title of Branch Manager might sound grand, but at the end of the day, I'm just middle management."

"It didn't particularly upset me."

Dale shook his head.

If the directive came from higher up, that meant someone above was watching him—Whether in a good or bad way.

'If I pull this off properly, I might be able to avoid some annoying trouble down the line.'

Dale gave a small nod.

"Alright. I'll try to find some people."

"Will you be okay?"

"Well, it's not like there won't be anyone willing to join me. And if there isn't… then I'll just go alone."

"In that case, the guild will prepare a supply wagon for your departure."

Nodding, Dale left the office.

It was an urgent mission.

There was a chance—however slim—that the missing mercenaries were still alive.

Unlikely, but possible.

The guild probably already assumed they were dead.

It was rare for missing mercenaries to return alive.

That's why they had used this request as a test for Dale.

If they had truly believed the mercenaries were still alive, they would've entrusted the task to someone more reliable.

Dale made his way down to the main floor.

As usual, the place was bustling with mercenaries searching for requests.

He scanned the room for capable fighters.

His gaze was like that of a predator hunting for prey.

"Wh-What's with that look?"

"Let's just get out of here."

Frightened mercenaries slowly backed away.

'No one useful in sight…'

Just then, someone approached Dale, pretending to be friendly.

"Sir Dale! Long time no see! You remember me, right? Haken—it's me, Haken! I already heard the news about you taking down that bastard Miles! What a jackpot! Haha! If I had teamed up with you back then, I might've struck it big too!"

It was a mercenary named Haken, with unusually curly hair, acting overly familiar.

His exaggerated behavior was almost awkward, as if trying to show off to everyone around him—

'Look, see? I'm on good terms with this guy.'

Dale didn't respond. He simply stared at Haken in silence.

Under Dale's unblinking gaze, Haken started to fidget and took a step back.

"D-Did I do something wrong…?"

"Are you currently working on any job?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I was just goofing off until yesterday. Came out today to look for work."

"Come with me."

"Eh?"

Dale turned and started walking toward the exit. Haken could only stare at Dale's back, utterly confused.

Dale turned his head slightly.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Uh, S-Sir Dale? Could you at least tell me why?"

Dale ignored him and walked out of the office.

After a moment of hesitation, Haken hurriedly followed. Something told him that refusing wouldn't end well.

One down.

A Grade-2 Shieldman. A solid pick who could pull his weight in just about any team composition.

Sure, Haken had a loose tongue, but he was also a seasoned mercenary.

Unaware that his fate had already been sealed in Dale's mind, Haken followed behind with a nervous expression.

"Sir Dale, can you tell me now? We're not headed to some nice tavern or anything, right?"

Dale glanced over his shoulder and casually explained the request:

They didn't know who the enemy was, and the details of the mission would be left entirely to field judgment.

As Haken listened, his face turned pale.

"What the hell—how can you take on a job without even knowing what kind of monster might jump out at you?! Seriously?"

"If anything goes wrong, we pull back. I'll make sure you get a clean escape, so don't worry."

"Uh, well… that does sound reassuring, but still…"

As Haken hesitated, Dale spoke again.

"You won't grow if you only fight easy enemies. Isn't it about time you moved past Grade 2?"

"Hmm… I mean, you're not wrong, so I can't exactly argue, but even so…"

Suddenly, Dale stopped walking and turned to look at him.

"You don't want to?"

"...Uh, well…"

Dale stared at Haken silently. He didn't say another word—he knew the power of silence.

Haken began to sweat nervously, then forced a grin onto his face.

"Haha! Of course I'm in! Haken, the man of loyalty—what else am I good for?"

"Didn't you say you were a lone wolf last time?"

"Ahh, come on, you're still holding on to that joke?"

Letting out a long sigh, Haken resigned himself.

'Well, things should be fine with this guy around.'

The memory of Dale's overwhelming combat ability was still vivid in Haken's mind.

No matter what kind of monster they ran into, he felt confident Dale could handle it.

Walking beside Dale now, Haken asked,

"But hey, it's not just the two of us, right? I mean, we should at least have a priest in the party, don't you think?"

"I already got a priest."

"Oh really? That's a relief. What's their name?"

"You know them."

Haken tilted his head in confusion.

***

"…"

"…"

"…"

In front of the Temple of Light, Estelle, Haken, and Dale stood locked in an awkward standoff.

The first to break the silence was Estelle.

"So, let me get this straight. You show up unannounced early in the morning and suddenly invite me to join a request?"

"It's not an invitation. You're the one who said you'd lend a hand when I needed help."

"Well—uh—I did say that, but still, there's something called proper manners, you know?"

"I'm against this too, Sir Dale."

Haken chimed in with an uncomfortable expression.

"She's just an apprentice priest, right? Who treats an apprentice as a full priest in a combat party? She won't be able to hold her own in a real fight. You saw her last time—she froze in front of that One-Eye."

"I'm not an apprentice priest anymore!"

Estelle snapped back sharply, lifting the sleeve of her robe to reveal a mark stitched onto it.

A single silver ring.

In other words, she had officially become a full-fledged priest.

Haken's eyes widened.

"What? You got ordained already?!"

"Hmph. I told you, didn't I? I am a promising talent, you know."

Estelle lifted her chin slightly, a smug expression on her face.

Dale nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. You'll be useful in combat."

Estelle's face immediately stiffened again.

"Excuse me? I haven't said I'm going yet. I mean, how am I supposed to go right now? I have scheduled duties today, and afternoon prayers I need to lead, and also…"

Her excuses began to pile up.

As Estelle continued to show signs of refusal, Dale cut her off firmly.

"You swore in the name of your god."

"Ugh."

Estelle froze.

For a person of faith, a vow made in the name of their deity carried immense weight.

Breaking that oath could mean losing one's divine blessing entirely.

Estelle murmured with a slightly pitiful look on her face.

"I'm still the youngest here… If I suddenly disappear from duty, the senior sisters will start giving me looks. The other priestesses won't like it. And the high priest will scold me..."

"I understand."

A hint of relief appeared on Estelle's face.

"You understand, then?"

"Seems the name of the God of Light means less to you than I thought."

Estelle's expression twisted again.

As Dale turned his head away, Estelle, looking like she was about to cry, muttered,

"Fine. I'll do it. Happy now?"

"Hurry and get ready."

Muttering "What have I gotten myself into…" under her breath, Estelle scurried back toward the temple.

Watching her retreat with satisfaction, Dale remarked,

"Recruiting party members isn't as hard as I thought."

Haken, who had been observing from the side, slowly shook his head.