[Albion Plane, Porfield Kingdom, Mount Thor, White Lion Stronghold]
The summons came not from Ragnar's loud lodge, but through a discreet tap on the shoulder as Greem left the Blackstone Tavern. It was Silas, Jack's lieutenant, a man whose face was as unreadable as weathered stone.
"Jack wants a word", Silas murmured, his voice barely carrying over the tavern's din, "Alone. Now."
The request carried a different weight than one from Ragnar. Where Ragnar demanded, Jack invited, and that made the invitation far more dangerous to refuse.
Jack was an odd man. He was the original founder of the White Lion Bandit Group. Despite being a knight, he accepted Alicia's rule without hesitation in exchange for the White Lion Swordsmanship. He gave up power for strength. This alone made him very dangerous.
Greem followed Silas through the maze of pathways to a longhouse tucked away from the central clearing. It was less a fortress and more a sprawling, functional dwelling.
Inside, the air smelled of pine resin and old parchment. Jack, a carefully trimmed black beard and a leather armour set on him at all times, sat at a large table strewn with maps and ledgers. The walls showed daggers and swords of various curves and length. His room also showed a dozen books. He looked up as they entered, his weary eyes sharp and assessing.
'Jack is also one of the few bandits with Kael and Alicia who knows how to read...', Greem analysed, not expecting this side of Jack.
Months ago, he was not even a squad leader. He could only dream of talking with the likes of Ragnar, Alicia, Kael or Jack. Yet, now it seemed like a daily occurence.
"Greem. Sit", Jack said, gesturing to a stool. Silas melted back into the shadows by the door, a silent sentinel. "I've been watching you. You're not like the others. You think. You learn. You see value where others see only plunder"
Jack leaned back, crossing his fingers, "Ragnar believes in strength. Alicia believes in order. I believe in systems. In networks", He paused, letting the word hang in the air, "I am a member of an organization. The Black Rose."
"It is not merely an assassin group, as some may believe" Jack continued, a faint smile touching his lips, "It is a guild. A brotherhood of purpose, for those who understand that the true levers of power are not always pulled by the hand wearing the crown. My rank within it is… modest. But it has provided the White Lions with benefits you cannot imagine. Information. Contracts. A safety net."
Greem's biochip instantly cross-referenced the name. Even he had heard of them. Assassinations of nobles were their specialty. During the Porfield Revolution, many knights lost their lives mysteriously, a feat that was claimed by Black Rose. Royal mages were said to have eradicated them, but Jack's insignia showed otherwise.
[Data Retrieved: Black Rose. Classification: Assassins' Guild. Reputation: Shadowed. Operational Scope: Porfield Kingdom. Status: Hostile to established noble houses.]
He leaned forward, his voice dropping.
"A new contract has come down. The client is the Silver Union, a consortium of merchants. They have monopolized a newly discovered mine rich with magic crystals in the nearby Rustfang Mountains"
A new alert flashed in Greem's vision.
[Magic Crystals: Condensed arcane energy in solid form. Primary uses: Mage cultivation, enchantment, powering artifacts. Used as currency by acolytes]
A month ago, he would have not known what a magic crystal was. However, the book Basic Arcane Meditation Technique mentioned them as a catalyst, and currency in magical organisations.
"The Crown caught wind of it", Jack explained, "They've dispatched a Royal Mage to 'oversee' the operation, which is a polite way of saying he will seize the lion's share of the profits for the treasury. The Silver Union does not wish to share. The Black Rose is to ensure the Royal Mage never reaches the mine"
An assassination of a Royal Mage. The stakes were exponentially higher than killing a mere court functionary. This was a direct, lethal challenge to the Crown's authority. They were beings of legends, said to be capable of true magic.
"This is why I asked for you, Greem", Jack said, his gaze intent, "Not just for your sword, which has grown remarkably sharp, but for your eye. Ragnar mentioned you found a hidden compartment in Oakhaven with ale and silver. Most would not have discovered it. A Royal Mage's possessions, his traveling goods… they will be filled with trinkets of interest. Scrolls, components, perhaps even gold coins. Things a common bandit would overlook, or a loyalist like Alicia would feel obligated to turn over. But you… you would know their true worth."
"What's in it for me?", Greem asked, "Did Alicia even approve of it?"
Jack scoffed: "Coins. Even someone like me heard of your obsession with coins. You even went as far as join hands with that brute Ragnar for them. I like that about you. As for the chieftain, Alicia would never approve it. However, she would only punish us if we fail or leave traces"
Greem nodded: "Fair enough"
His obsession with coin was real, especially after discovering that he could potentially find rare ingredients to raise his attributes with them. However, the loot from a mage from the royal court...Now this was interesting. He had made a lot of progress on his spell, but lacked some fundamental knowledge to cast it.
Memorizing the spell itself had been quite challenging, the runes beyond what a regular human brain could handle. Yet, he was lost after this step. The biochip could state hypothesis, but unless a real mage cast a spell in front of him, he was stuck on an endless trial and error process. With his small arcane powers, the number of daily attempts were limited too.
Perhaps...this mission could allow him to cast Medusa's gaze, the petrification spell from Oakhaven headman's scroll.
"The mission is perilous in the extreme," Jack stated bluntly. "We will be a small team, selected for discretion and skill. The more who know, the more threads a diviner can pull. You, myself, Silas, and two others. We move as ghosts, strike as lightning, and vanish. The Silver Union pays handsomely in gold, but the 'trinkets' or books you find…those are your bonus. I heard you learned how to read, so surely you will be interested"
Greem's mind raced. The risk was astronomical.
A Royal Mage would be infinitely stronger than the headman, who failed to learn a single spell. He would be a trained combatant in the arcane arts.
But the reward…Knowledge.
This was something he could not refuse.
"You are offering me a place in the Black Rose?" Greem asked, his voice carefully neutral, "Surely you know that I stand with Ragnar"
Kael had been the one that recruited him. Ragnar the one who made him a squad leader through opportunities and raids. Alicia had acknowledged him. If anything, Jack was the weakest knight in the bandit group and the one he interacted with the least.
"I am offering you a chance to prove you are worthy of consideration", Jack corrected, "And...after this mission, you and I will share a deadly secret. The only thing I ask of you is to change affiliations, and join me. The Black Rose will open a sea of opportunities. You and I are alike. We are monsters, willing to sacrifice anything for power"
The choice was clear. Stay with the slow, steady grind of bandit life under Alicia's wary eye, or take a terrifying leap into the shadows with Jack, for a chance at real, transformative power.
He met Jack's gaze, the calculation complete.
[Name: Jack. Attributes: Strength - 2.4 | Agility - 2.4 | Vitality - 2.4. Skills: White Tiger Swordsmanship (65), Banditry (50), Stealth (40), Basic Dagger Art (30), Basic Axe Mastery (25), Horse Riding (25), Literacy (25), Accounting (20)...]
"I understand", Greem said, "When do we leave?"
Jack's smile was a thin, satisfied line. "At first light, two days from now. Prepare, but tell no one. Not even your teammates, not your lovers. You are going on a long scouting mission for me. That is all anyone needs to know"
"What about Ragnar", Greem asked
Jack scoffed: "Two squad leaders already joined my side, willingly. They begged for the opportunity. One more squad leader leaving won't be suspicious. If you perform well, I will consider making you a lieutenant by the end of the winter"
As Greem left the longhouse, the night felt different.
The stars seemed colder, the shadows deeper. He was no longer just a bandit squad leader caught between feuding officers.