The bounty award is administered by the city hall, which oversees the city's administration.
First, they inform the city's soldiers, then dispatch an investigation team to the area or verify the corpse if the wanted criminal has been killed, and judge whether to issue the bounty.
The most common method is to deliver the severed head, but without professional equipment, preserving it from rotting is a struggle.
"You could freeze it with magic, though."
Still, it's unpleasant to carry around.
Verden was thankful to Lord Pythe for sparing him the hassle.
Upon arriving at the city hall in the city center, a guard blocked his way.
"What brings you here?"
Verden took out the bounty certificate.
Currently, Verden held no official status, but the paper bearing the lord's seal served as identification. Recognizing the noble crest, the soldier straightened his posture at once.
"M-My apologies. The relevant department is at the end of the right corridor on the second floor."
He declined the offer to be escorted.
Back when he worked at the magic tower as a laborer, he often ran errands to and from city hall. Even though the physical layout was different, a rough glance told him where things were.
When he found the relevant department, a large bulletin board was plastered with wanted posters for various criminals.
Vilshen and Varja. Their faces were among them.
He took down the wanted posters and handed them to the staff.
"I completed the subjugation alongside the lord's knight from Baron Pythe's territory. Here is the proof."
Seeing the seal, the staff accepted it cautiously, worried it might tear.
"This... requires precise verification, so it might take some time. I'll expedite it as much as possible. Could you please wait just a moment?"
Perhaps out of fear of offending a noble, the staff's attitude was extremely courteous.
Verden nodded and was shown to a resting area. Another staff member hurried over with a cup of warm green tea.
Sip.
"Tastes awful."
Still, spitting it out would've been rude. He drank it down in one go and quietly closed his eyes.
Most of Verden's life had been immersed in magic. Even while resting, he contemplated various magical combat techniques.
Clack. The sound of the door opening made Verden open his eyes.
It wasn't a staff member, but a middle-aged man he'd never seen before.
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Gellin Warhard, the mayor of Martes."
...The mayor? Out of nowhere?
Surprised by the sudden appearance of a high-ranking official, Verden widened his eyes. But only for a moment—he quickly regained his composure, stood, and bowed.
"I'm Asher."
"Haha, quite the courteous Mage. The order may be a bit backwards, but if you're not busy, could we have a brief conversation?"
Who would turn away the leader of the city, showing up personally?
Not knowing what this was about, he decided to hear it out. He had planned to rest today anyway.
Verden nodded.
After the mayor sat, Verden leaned back in his chair.
"So, what business do you have with me?"
"It's nothing major. Just a small token of gratitude for an unexpected favor."
The mayor took out a certificate along with ten million Elk in bounty money. Judging by the flag of the Principality printed on it, it seemed to be an official travel pass.
Why is he giving me this?
Seeing Verden's puzzled expression, the mayor gave a faint smile.
"Baron Pythe's territory is my hometown. When I was young, I received great kindness from the current lord. I still vividly remember falling from a tree while playing, nearly dying, and being saved when he personally contacted the church for treatment. Ah, thank you."
A staff member brought refreshments—this time, made with high-quality tea leaves.
After moistening his throat, the mayor continued.
"In any case, after living through war and hardships, I eventually found myself in this position. I wanted to let the rest of my family live in comfort here, but they're all too old-fashioned and insisted on staying in the domain. Now you see what favor I'm referring to, do you not, Mage?"
He had saved the territory from bandits.
It may have been a bit exaggerated, but it was true that he'd removed the threat from the mayor's family.
Feeling bashful under the mayor's warm gaze, Verden scratched his cheek.
"And the lord also asked me to look out for you, so I prepared this. I heard from the guards that you don't have a proper ID."
"I'll gratefully accept it."
It wasn't anything too rare, but it was something Verden needed.
Otherwise, he would have to affiliate with an adventurer or mercenary guild to issue new identification using the lord's certificate.
Verden didn't want to belong to any group. At least, not for now.
"I'm glad it made for a good gift. Well then, I have official duties to attend to, so I'll take my leave… Ah, come to think of it, I nearly forgot the most important thing."
The mayor, holding the doorknob, turned back.
"Welcome to our Martes."
***
After the unplanned meeting with the mayor, Verden headed to Magnus Bank.
While being guided by a staff member, he recalled the account he used at the magic tower.
They probably think I'm dead. The tower must've reclaimed everything.
The thought of the hard-earned money now filling the tower master's pockets was infuriating.
But there was nothing he could do. If he had withdrawn all his money and packed up just before the incident at the tower, suspicion would've arisen.
The tower master, Balrog Bessias, was that type of person.
He opened a new account and deposited most of the money he had.
He also received a card bearing the Magnus insignia. On the back was an advanced formula developed by mages who had led the revolution in society. Using the card would automatically deduct the corresponding amount from the account.
However, due to technical limitations, it could only be used at shops equipped with a dedicated terminal issued by the bank.
Naturally, outside the city, it would be completely useless—just junk. It was a convenient technology usable only in cities of a certain size.
With the card he'd just received, Verden rented the top floor of an inn and looked down through the window.
The cityscape was peaceful beyond words. Having eaten dinner early, he lay on the fluffy bed.
"Having an ID makes things convenient."
Thanks to that, he now had some breathing room. Verden decided to dedicate the time he'd gained to magic.
Elemental spells and common magic not tied to any specific branch—until now, he had been able to manifest spells he memorized, as long as the circuits allowed.
So, would other branches work too?
He was curious how far the talent he gained through Defying the Heavens could reach. It was a thought that came to him after seeing Iris's enchantment magic.
"…Now this is life."
No one was meddling in his affairs at every turn.
In the freedom of being unbound, Verden fell asleep.
***
"…Dead?"
The doctor frowned, as if asking what nonsense he was hearing. The man in black who had reported remained silent.
"The cause?"
"Traces of magic left in the cave suggest he was murdered—"
Crash!
Glass shards rained down on the man's head. The doctor, who had thrown a flask, glared at him with eyes full of fury.
"Do you not understand what I'm asking? I asked who killed Sergen."
"…That's still unknown. However, there is evidence that an adventurer party, who accepted a request from the village, entered the cave where the experimental subject was kept."
At least that was somewhat useful information.
The doctor, who had been about to throw another flask, lowered it and tapped his forehead, lost in thought.
A mere adventurer party tasked with a goblin subjugation couldn't have possibly killed that guy.
There's something there. Something—but he couldn't figure out what.
Even so, as a researcher, the doctor began piecing together scattered fragments of information. There were two unresolved incidents in the past few months.
First, the experimental subject planted in Baron Pythe's territory had been unusually quiet.
Second, the sudden death of Sergen.
The time gap between the two was short enough to suggest a connection.
There was only one conclusion to draw from that.
"Someone eliminated the experimental subject, and even killed Sergen?"
One group came to the doctor's mind, one capable of such a deed.
The Ark. It was them.
The ideology they pursued was virtually the antithesis of the organization the doctor belonged to. Though they shared the same root, they could no longer coexist.
"Hah, I don't know where they got the intel, but they found it well enough. This throws our plans off..."
The only silver lining was that the mage sent by the Ark hadn't discovered the location of this research lab.
Well, Sergen's mouth was both loose and tight. A shame he couldn't be used anymore, but at least he hadn't dragged them down.
"Theon."
"Yes, Doctor."
"Can you find out who killed Sergen by today?"
"Half a day will be enough."
"Good. Then do it."
He had no intention of sitting still, waiting for the enemy to make the next move.
Since the Ark struck first, it was only right to repay the favor.
"And kill them."
Even then, the Ark wouldn't give up. They'd send another agent. That was their purpose.
By then, the research would likely yield meaningful results. The grand experiment using the city of Martes as its stage—nothing could stop it.
The doctor looked at the sigil carved into the palm of his hand.
Sharp, aligned red fangs—Gluttony.
We will become the pioneers of humankind.
***
The next day, Iris and Verden met at the inn.
The other party members had offered to come along, but Iris declined.
She had been a scholarship student at the academy, and her talent in enchantment magic had risen to 2nd-tier, yet once she became the adventurer she had always dreamed of, she found herself just another member in the rat race—chasing money and rank-ups.
Still, it was fortunate she had recruited comrades who matched her temperament to some extent.
Then came Verden.
His magical skill was overwhelming, and no matter what theory she asked about, he knew it all. What she couldn't understand, he explained clearly and logically on the spot.
To her, Verden was the ideal Mage, and someone who could cure the disillusionment she'd developed from her adventurer life.
'I can't let him slip away.'
Iris felt her scholarly passion for magic reignite for the first time in ages.
"This is the library. It's the largest in Martes and has the most diverse selection of books, so I come here often too. Ordinary citizens can use it freely, but if you're not a registered member, you have to pay to borrow anything. And to become a member, you need to attend for at least a week."
"Are there books on enchantment magic?"
"Enchantment magic? There are some, but probably nothing up to your standards, Mage."
"That's fine. Basic-level knowledge is enough."
"Then I'll help. I know where everything is, so as long as no one's borrowed it, I can find them all."
Iris said confidently.
Even helping find the books... Hiring her as a guide had been the right decision.
"Um, if it's not rude, could you possibly speak more casually? I'm younger, and I'm also your junior as a Mage…"
"Then I'll call you Iris."
Verden immediately dropped formal speech.
After all, titles and honorifics were just superficial conventions.
She had brought it up herself, but didn't expect him to switch so suddenly... Iris blinked in surprise, then followed Verden into the library.
"Then... what should I call you?"
"Whatever you want."
That's the hardest part.
Iris thought deeply. What would sound most natural?
'Lord Asher? Or maybe 'teacher'? Asher oppa... absolutely not.'
Then, a fitting title came to her.
Passing ahead of Verden, who was looking around the library, she said,
"I'll go find them, so senior, please wait here a moment."
Senior? It was a first for him to be addressed that way. It felt a little odd, but he didn't mind.
After a short while, Iris returned with more than ten books.
"Will this be enough?"
"It'd be better to have more."
He was planning to stay in the city for a while anyway.
They gathered and gathered, and before long, a mountain of books had formed around Verden. The library director couldn't ignore it and came over.
"Excuse me, but this isn't a place to build a tower out of books..."
"This is all of it?"
"Haa, haa... Yes, that's everything."
Iris replied with a face utterly worn out.
Verden turned his gaze to the library director, took out his card, and handed it over.
"From here to there. Deliver all of it to the top floor of the Lorix Inn."
That day, the library saw the highest sales in its history.