Chapter 416: Requisition
"Let me put it another way—the Black Tower intends to requisition all three of your mercenary companies." Solan Monty’s face was cold, his chilling gaze sweeping across Dalson and the other two.
"Requisition? Just you?"
Dean, hot-tempered as ever, sneered at Solan Monty. A faint spark of electricity flickered around him; with power rivaling a third-rank Sword Saint, he wouldn’t even bother to put someone like Solan in his eyes.
He’d already become a Sword Saint when Solan Monty was still just a Magus.
Yet, just then...
A voice suddenly rang out.
"Enough. That’s quite enough. The three mercenary companies—you seem to have forgotten that the Black Tower isn’t negotiating with you. This is a requisition! I think I don’t need to explain what that means..."
As soon as the words fell, everyone present felt a sudden force descend upon them.
The power was almost unbelievable. Dean, Dalson, Rolf—each a rare master in their own right—found themselves unable even to muster the thought of resistance. Skyline Gorge itself seemed to fall silent, and the three mercenary leaders looked ashen, as if facing death itself.
In an instant, they understood—the Black Tower hadn’t just sent Solan Monty. There was someone far stronger here...
The speaker revealed himself, floating in midair. He looked like any ordinary old man, perhaps in his sixties, but something about him radiated a terrifying aura.
"Councilor Weiss..." Dalson drew a sharp breath, finally realizing who had arrived. It was Weiss, one of the Sevenfold Council of the Black Tower!
If before he’d doubted that Solan Monty could represent the Black Tower, Councilor Weiss certainly could. The Sevenfold Council was almost the very symbol of the Black Tower’s highest authority.
"Councilor Weiss, what brings you here..." Dalson forced a smile, his voice trembling—not with excitement, but fear. "The Apocalypse Mercenary Company will submit to the Black Tower’s requisition."
Though all were Title Magi, his third-rank status meant nothing before Weiss. Dalson knew that if Councilor Weiss wished, he could turn him into a corpse in an instant.
And as a member of the Sevenfold Council, Weiss could, with a single word, bring endless trouble to the Apocalypse Mercenary Company.
"Councilor Weiss, we’re also willing to submit to the Black Tower’s requisition..."
Rolf and Dean exchanged glances, each seeing deep resignation in the other's eyes. With the Apocalypse Mercenary Company already yielding, any further resistance seemed pointless.
"I’ve no time to waste here. Solan Monty, you’ll handle the arrangements for the three mercenary companies." With that, the old man’s figure vanished into thin air.
The appearance of Councilor Weiss from the Black Tower crushed any lingering hopes of resistance among the three mercenary companies. Solan Monty they could ignore, but Councilor Weiss...
Though they were captains and vice-captains of the top mercenary forces, respected figures throughout Auckland, they all knew—they weren’t even on the same level as Councilor Weiss.
That astronomical reward, once impossible to refuse, now seemed to slip further and further out of reach.
Led by Solan Monty, the three mercenary companies headed toward the Black Tower’s camp. Skyline Gorge was as perilous as rumored—the deeper they went, the more magical beasts they encountered.
In just half a day, they’d already faced over a dozen waves of beast attacks. Luckily, their sheer numbers kept losses to a minimum.
Now, in the makeshift conference room, Dalson, Dean, and Rolf were embroiled in a heated argument over spoils—a scene that would’ve been unthinkable before. Back when they advanced toward the Turin Mountains, close cooperation was vital for safety, and mutual courtesy came naturally...
But now, with the Black Tower forcibly requisitioning their companies, they could no longer fulfill the Odin Kingdom’s commission or claim that astronomical reward...
Their partnership remained, but it wasn’t as close as before...
Leon was present too, though he sat in the corner, silent and deep in thought. The Black Tower’s intervention had caught him completely off guard...
And with a Councilor sent, it was clear just how seriously the Black Tower took this.
As for the Black Tower’s appearance, Leon wasn’t exactly surprised...
Back then, the Caucasus Battlemages had served the Black Tower for a millennium, sweeping through all of Auckland’s powers. Even the mighty Cloudspire Tower had to bow its head before the Black Tower. If not for the disaster three centuries ago, the Caucasus Battlemages would still be fighting alongside the Black Tower. It’s no wonder they left clues about the King of the Caucasus in the Black Tower’s archives...
Unfortunately, this was bad news for him. The situation in the Turin Mountains was already complicated enough—his five-person team, the three mercenary companies, all tangled in their own interests and grudges. Now, with the Black Tower added to the mix...
A Title Magus like Solan, Councilor Weiss, the Black Tower’s mage legion—this kind of lineup crushed the mercenary companies completely. If Leon still hoped to claim the King of the Caucasus’s relics for himself, it would be far harder now...
If he’d known things would turn out like this, he would’ve entered the Turin Mountains much earlier. Risky, sure—but better than having his plans ruined so thoroughly, right?
But just as Leon was mulling this over, a commotion broke out outside...
"Sir Solan, you—you can’t go in."
"Out of my way!"
A cold, menacing voice rang out. The mercenary guarding the door was instantly sent flying, crashing heavily into the conference room.
Solan Monty strode in, face grim, eyes sweeping the room before settling on Leon. A glacial, bone-chilling smile curled at his lips—it was him, after all!
He hadn’t participated in the battle against hundreds of magical beasts earlier—he’d simply watched from afar. Suddenly, a vaguely familiar figure flashed through his sight. He realized why the figure seemed so familiar: it was Matthew Merlin from Seaview City.
Not long ago, he’d heard that Matthew Merlin had arrived in Auckland and spent over thirty-seven million gold coins at an auction. At the time, he’d just returned to the Black Tower from the Pale Plane, swamped with work, so he couldn’t investigate. Later, he’d followed Councilor Weiss to the Turin Mountains, and to his surprise, Matthew Merlin was here too!
He knew exactly what Matthew Merlin had done in Seaview City. The entire Monty family was barely surviving under his pressure. Solan Monty had been taken to the Black Tower by his mentor as a child and lived there for over forty years, rarely interacting with the Monty family and feeling little attachment. He’d returned to Seaview City last year—not for the Monty family, but for the Merlin Ancestral Manor...
He’d read countless ancient records in the Black Tower and found clues about a certain plane. The Merlin Ancestral Manor likely contained a path to a mysterious plane.
He knew better than anyone what a brand-new plane meant—for mages, it was a paradise of gold, packed with precious resources. The discovery of any new plane would spark fierce competition among countless factions.
So Solan Monty hadn’t hesitated. After the Rog Merlin Shipwreck, he’d prompted the Monty family to vie for the manor.
In Solan Monty’s eyes, the Monty family’s influence in Seaview City should have made claiming the manor effortless. Yet they failed. Worse, Matthew Merlin’s Gilded Rose rose to prominence, and in less than a year, the Monty family was no match for him...
Even so, Solan Monty hadn’t worried. After returning from the Pale Plane, he was already a Title Magus. He’d planned to finish his business, then head to Seaview City to kill Matthew Merlin and take the Gilded Rose and the manor.
But Matthew Merlin seemed to have rotten luck, tagging along with the three mercenary companies to the Turin Mountains, and now Solan had spotted him.
So now, things were very simple.
"Solan Monty, what’s the meaning of this? The three mercenary companies are discussing important matters. Why barge in? Do you really think, just because Councilor Weiss is here, the Black Tower can meddle in our affairs? I’m telling you, that’s impossible! Get out, now!"
Dean, vice-captain of the Templar Knights Mercenary Company, was already hot-tempered. After so many setbacks—finally reaching the Turin Mountains only to be requisitioned by the Black Tower, and losing out in the spoils dispute—he was furious. Solan Monty barging in was the last straw.
Normally, with Councilor Weiss around, Dean might have held back.
"I must say, Sir Solan, you’re out of line..." Dalson’s face was dark, his words tinged with anger. They were, after all, Auckland’s top mercenary forces. Even if they had to submit to Councilor Weiss for now, Solan Monty was another matter entirely.
All along, neither Dalson, Dean, nor Rolf had shown Solan Monty any respect.
They feared the Black Tower and Councilor Weiss, but Solan Monty was nothing to them—how dare he burst into their high-level meeting?