"I will try to contact the Tregava squad again. First I need to convince that guy, Tesetan."

With that reply, the connection through the communication artifact was cut off.

The Blue Cloak stared at the extinguished device for several seconds, then sighed and turned around.

But soon a short exclamation escaped his lips.

"Damn."

On the mahogany bench, on the edge of the marble fountain he had just touched with his hand.

Everywhere he had wandered through the gallery, traces of scarlet blood remained.

The Blue Cloak frowned as if he had run into trouble.

Lowering his gaze, he saw bright red blood dripping from beneath his cloak.

Drip.

Drip.

"...I should have at least bandaged it."

He hurriedly turned toward the path where the exit was located.

"I should have listened when they said that combining positions is not a job for just anyone."

He raised one hand and removed the protective barrier at the exit.

A dark corridor opened in the air.

Without hesitation, the Blue Cloak stepped into it.

A few seconds after the master disappeared.

The greenhouse barrier began to function again.

The exit that had appeared in the air vanished without a trace.

Just in time, a complex magical device hanging from the ceiling hummed and began to move.

It was an artifact that watered the flowers planted in the greenhouse twice a day.

When the tiniest droplets of water filled the air, a pale rainbow appeared in the greenhouse.

Above a large crimson pool of blood spread across the floor.

Popullos Weapons District.

Berugon’s workshop.

Bale placed the communication artifact he had been holding onto the table.

When he turned around, he saw the squad members staring at him intently.

"Well? What did they say?"

Nordix asked first, tension clearly visible on his face.

Enzo was also shifting impatiently from foot to foot.

"They're coming? Right?"

Bale drew in a breath and forced out a single word in a trembling voice.

"...They’re coming."

The squad members’ eyes widened.

"Really?!"

"Yes. They said they will send people who can help. Here."

"See?! See!!"

Raul jumped in place and punched the air.

"I told you! I told you the association would come!"

Instead of answering, Bale rubbed his temple.

"Haaa..."

He had been so nervous that the back of his neck was still damp with sweat.

His heart was beating so hard he could even feel it pounding in his head.

"Really? The Mercenary Association will come to save Astie?"

At that moment Basto asked from the side.

Bale sank heavily into a chair and nodded.

"Yes. They will come. They just announced a muster for the three top mercenary squads. Once they are ready, they will even be provided with transfer portals to get here quickly."

Not only would they send help, they would even provide portals.

Basto’s fist clenched tightly.

‘Really... we can really save Tie.’

They could pull the child trapped in the subspace out.

Relief at having found a way.

And at the same time, burning anxiety because that way still could not be put into action yet.

His mouth felt dry.

The desperate emergency meeting from an hour earlier surfaced in his mind.

‘So what, we just watch? Until Krazar devours our squad leader?!’

Immediately after Astie and Berugon had been dragged into the subspace.

The members of Agavert and the blacksmiths had simultaneously begun searching for a solution.

Both groups risked losing their leaders.

That was only natural.

But because of the nature of the subspace, which could not be accessed from the outside, it seemed there was no way to pull them out.

Until Enzo suddenly raised his hand and proposed an unexpected idea.

‘How about this. Let’s send a rescue request to the Mercenary Association.’

The Mercenary Association.

Sometimes it was also called the Frost Association.

But the exact name of the organization was the Frost Mercenary Union.

‘I heard about it when I was a Holy Knight trainee. They said it was an organization that guarantees the safety of mercenaries.’

In reality, the Frost Mercenary Union was a very young organization, created less than five years ago.

The number of squads belonging to it was still small, and the identity of its leader was kept strictly secret.

A suspicious organization.

And yet most mercenaries knew about its existence.

The reason was simple.

‘The Frost Association. Aren’t those the ones who save squads that are about to be wiped out during magic tower sieges?’

‘Yes. But most of the top mercenary squads are members there anyway.’

‘...How? And where do they even get the money? They have no obvious source of income, yet they poke their noses everywhere.’

The first reason was the strange activities of the organization and its enormous financial capabilities.

The second—

‘But it’s the association that connects mercenary squads with state commissions. That means they clearly have patrons.’

The monopoly system on state commissions they had quickly established.

Basto sank into thought and tightly squeezed and released the armrest of the chair several times.

A monopoly on state commissions.

It sounded complicated.

But the principle of how this system worked was surprisingly simple.

‘It was... I think during the first year of the association’s existence.’

Back then, the leader of the Frost Association, who remained hidden in the shadows, concluded a single contract with the imperial court.

How he managed to reach the emperor.

What the details of the contract were.

That was not important.

Basto still remembered the announcement that had hung in huge letters in mercenary registration offices and payment bureaus.

[ANNOUNCEMENT]

The Imperial Council and the Frost Mercenary Union hereby announce the following.

From this day forward, all state commissions, according to the agreement between the imperial court and the Union, will be issued exclusively through the Frost Mercenary Union.

Accordingly, the previous system of individual distribution of state commissions is terminated immediately.

From this moment on, all state commissions will be assigned only through the Frost Mercenary Union.

The Union has the right to grant priority in accepting commissions to mercenary squads that belong to it.

These were not ordinary tasks.

These were state commissions.

Important missions in which the imperial court officially requested the help of mercenaries and promised high rewards.

‘And they intend to monopolize the right to take those commissions.’

From that moment, Basto had begun to doubt.

An organization that seemed like a brief flash might actually be a hidden opponent with enormous ambitions.

‘Damn! It was already hard enough to get a state commission... now we can forget about it!’

Other mercenaries were not particularly pleased with the association’s activities either.

Kal from Des Hound had openly complained.

‘What? Priority for their own squads?! It’s obvious. They will just demand huge money to join the association!’

The reaction of the mercenaries was completely natural.

‘How can anyone trust this association! Our mercenary history goes back decades. If something like this worked, why didn’t it exist before?’

‘Exactly. They talk about protecting mercenaries’ rights, but in the end only the people sitting in the association will grow fat...’

The mercenaries’ hostility toward the association quickly reached its limit.

Some even began an unofficial movement refusing to join it.

In truth, Basto had also been inclined to agree with that sentiment at the time.

‘The more power an organization has, the fewer opportunities individuals have.’

It was difficult to argue with that.

Besides, what if the true nature of the Frost Mercenary Union turned out to be corrupt?

The moment they began distributing commission rights in exchange for bribes, every squad below the tenth rank would simply die out.

Because for most mercenaries, state commissions were a dream.

High monetary rewards.

Connections and fame that could be gained during the mission.

For small squads, it was a chance to grow.

For medium ones, an opportunity to rise in the rankings.

But if such opportunities were enjoyed only by those close to the association...

‘It looked dangerous.’

Even in Basto’s eyes, it looked dangerous.

The enormous power the Frost Mercenary Union had obtained practically overnight.