Chapter 84 – A New Name is Needed
Dorneth's bold and commanding declaration carried an air of authority.
The ruler of Beneta had raised his hand in favor of the blood pact.
Usually, when a ruler expresses their will, their retainers either comply or accept it without protest. But unfortunately, this was Beneta, the city of other races.
In Beneta, authority among the other races was less vertical and more horizontal.
In other words, it was a polite way of saying nobody respected anyone else’s authority.
“…Even the golden plaque?!”
“Did you hear that? Ever since he became a divine-name holder, it’s like he’s lost his mind.”
“The Shield of Tobaron? At this rate, isn’t he just that human’s shield?”
Hearing the murmuring among the elder dwarves, Dorneth’s beard quivered in irritation. For others, his authority as a ruler might have worked, but not on these long-lived dwarven elders.
After all, if you traced it back far enough, most of them were blood relatives or family.
And on top of that, they were bound by a blood pact.
It wasn’t that the elders’ reactions were completely unreasonable.
“Ruler, is that human strong enough to unify Beneta?”
“No.”
“Does he have a faction as powerful as the Black Rose?”
“No….”
“Is he wealthy?”
“……”
“Come now, be honest. Did he blackmail you somehow?”
For a blood pact to make sense, there had to be some balance of status. A mere human with no power or influence? No matter how strong the ruler’s will, it was natural for resistance to arise.
“He is special!”
Unable to watch any longer, Commander Natone stepped forward.
“You keep calling him he, he, but why defend someone whose name you don’t even know? Did the ruler bribe you?”
“B-bribe?! Don’t insult a knight like that!”
“Then let’s hear this grand name of his! What is it?!”
“T-that’s…!”
Once again, Dorneth intervened.
“I will reveal his name once the blood pact is sealed!”
“Did you coat his name in gold or something? Absolutely not!”
The debate reignited.
The dwarves were evenly split between support and opposition, with voices on both sides growing louder. With the dwarf elders' booming voices and Dorneth joining in, the plaza was beginning to resemble a battlefield.
Fenry pressed her fingers to her temples and sighed.
“I expected this, but it’s still such a mess.”
“…Right?”
Sharbadin, seated next to Fenry, flattened her ears against the deafening noise. The constant shouting was starting to give her a headache.
Occasionally, when her eyes met Dorneth’s, she’d send him a finger heart. Receiving this, Dorneth’s spirits would soar, and he’d push harder in favor of the blood pact.
Bringing Sharbadin here had definitely been the right call.
“At this rate, isn’t the blood pact going to fall apart?”
“It won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Nella is sure of it. She says destiny itself led him here.”
“Destiny, huh? That sounds like a load of nonsense. It’d be faster to just tell everyone the real reason you’re adding him to the blood pact.”
“Not yet.”
“Well, then there’s nothing to be done. But can I ask just one thing?”
“No. Don’t ask.”
“Why does the Dark Rose I gave to my benefactor now belong to you, Lady Fenry?”
Ignoring her refusal, Sharbadin asked anyway, clearly too curious to let it go. Fenry smacked her lips and brushed back her golden hair. The obsidian ornament woven into her locks made her hair shine even more brilliantly.
“If you’re thinking I stole it…”
“…!”
“I didn’t. Yet. If you’re curious, ask him yourself.”
“When will he arrive?”
“Nella should be sending him to the castle as soon as he wakes up.”
“I’d like to meet him, but… honestly, I hope he doesn’t come today.”
“Right?”
“Yes. The atmosphere here is terrifying.”
As even Dorneth began to raise his voice in defense of the human, the opposing dwarves turned their fury toward the source of the debate—the human himself.
Blacksmiths brandished their hammers, cursing as if they’d toss him into a molten forge the moment he appeared.
The merchant dwarves shouted that they’d sell him as a slave.
And then—
“The human has arrived!!!”
A guard from outside rushed in, frantically announcing the human’s arrival.
“……”
The plaza fell into instant silence.
Hundreds of sharp eyes turned toward the guard, who hiccupped nervously and pointed behind him.
The collective gaze shifted, and sparks seemed to fly in the dwarves’ eyes.
At last, the center of this commotion—the human—appeared.
Dressed neatly and cleanly, his two wide eyes blinked in innocence as he slowly stepped into view.
It was Arthur Clayton.
Him.
Fenry let out a faint scoff at his appearance.
“His timing is impeccable.”
When Arthur spotted her, he waved cheerfully. Fenry immediately looked away.
So did Sharbadin.
***
When the carriage arrived at the castle gates, the coachman introduced me as a distinguished guest of Beneta. From that point on, the guards escorted me like a VIP, guiding me inside without so much as a security check.
Surprisingly, the guards’ attitude was quite friendly.
I overheard them murmuring, calling me things like the “man of miracles” and the “savior.” When I asked why, they mentioned the Laup Forest incident, which seemed to have made me somewhat famous.
For someone who’d never been on TV, let alone in any media or even a comment thread, it felt strange.
I should’ve felt good about it, but instead, I was terrified. Was my name exposed? Thankfully, the guards kept asking for my name, which meant it probably wasn’t.
Servants greeted me with polite bows as I passed by.
The overall atmosphere of the castle was welcoming.
Because of that, I thought the blood pact discussion might actually go smoothly.
But then—
“What’s with this atmosphere?”
The moment I stepped into the plaza, the mood shifted drastically.
The stares directed at me were downright murderous.
I felt like a Serengeti impala trapped in a lion’s den.
Predators sizing up their prey had nothing on this. One wrong word and I’d be torn apart.
I spotted Fenry and waved at her for help, but she ignored me.
That damn woman.
‘If you called me here, take responsibility!’
I wanted to grab her by the collar and yell, but the suffocating tension in the room kept me in check.
I walked awkwardly, eventually finding myself standing before Dorneth.
Unlike the armored knights, Dorneth wore plain clothes. He was a stocky man with a long beard and a kind face. Based on his muscles, though, he looked like he could deadlift 500 pounds without breaking a sweat.
Standing in front of him, I had no idea what to say.
I’d been dragged here without a word of warning.
What was I even supposed to do?
“Ah, so the honored guest of Beneta has arrived. I’ve heard about you. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thanks to your care, I’ve fully recovered.”
“You must still need rest. I’m sorry for calling you here so soon, but this is an important matter. I hope you understand.”
“Of course, I do.”
We exchanged meaningless pleasantries.
Dorneth was friendly and clearly on my side. Commander Natone also greeted me warmly, showing favor.
The problem was the opposition.
The dwarves glared at me with fiery eyes.
Small but fiery. Some of these dwarves looked especially vicious.
“Are you the human who proposed this blood pact?”
“Proposed? Me?”
“What’s your name? Surely, someone proposing a blood pact should introduce themselves properly. No one here knows your name. Are all humans this rude?”
“Well, that’s…”
“Go on, make up an excuse.”
“I came prepared for today.”
“That’s the best you’ve got?”
No, seriously, that’s the truth.
These dwarves had it out for me from the start. They were radiating hostility from the moment I walked in.
When one elder dwarf fixated on my name, others joined in, demanding that I reveal my identity.
The very first question was already giving me a headache.
Normally, I would’ve introduced myself without hesitation, but after reading that letter, I was much more cautious.
I glanced at Fenry.
She subtly shook her head and mouthed two words: The letter.
And then she closed her lips firmly.
With so many eyes watching, she was clearly being careful.
I should’ve met with Fenry beforehand and coordinated what to say.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Of all places, I’d been dragged straight into a crowded assembly hall.
‘The letter…’
Still, having worked with Fenry before, I had a good idea of what she meant.
My name wasn’t mentioned in the letter.
Dorneth hadn’t said my name either. Neither had the guards who escorted me, nor anyone in this plaza.
There was only one conclusion:
I shouldn’t reveal my name.
The decision came quickly, and I immediately put it into action. I raised my voice and slowly looked around.
“My name is…!”
The crowd went deathly silent.
Hundreds of eyes bored into me, waiting impatiently. I smiled faintly, maintaining an air of composure.
I wasn’t nervous at all.
The battle in Laup Forest had strengthened me.
Try being surrounded by thousands of murderous chimeras. After that, it’s hard to be intimidated by anything.
“These eyes are nothing.”
I spoke calmly.
“My name is Alex.”
“…What? Alex?”
“Never heard of it.”
A name that nobody recognized.
Though I had gained a small amount of fame as the savior of Beneta and was being pushed for the blood pact by the ruler himself, the crowd seemed disappointed.
They’d expected something grander.
“Is he a noble?”
When one elder dwarf asked hesitantly, I pulled out a token from my pocket.
A gleaming golden plaque.
I’d found it in Laup Forest and kept it in my bag, thinking it might come in handy. I hadn’t expected to use it for something like this.
For now, this golden plaque would serve as proof of my new identity.
“I am the heir of the House of Marcia.”
The insignia of the Marcia family—a great merchant house destroyed by the Butcher who had been hunting for the Dragon’s Mantle.
After learning about the Butcher’s recent movements, I knew I needed a new identity.
I couldn’t use my mercenary alias, Al, any longer.
‘I’ve already been placed on Blyer’s wanted list.’
A month ago, Kamel Blazer had issued a massive bounty across all of Tobaron, and my alias, C-Rank Mercenary Al, was included on the list.
That mercenary pass had been created by Kamel himself, and now he was using it to track me down.
Eventually, he’d catch up to me, but I needed to buy time. Dropping the alias was my first step.
Reactions to the Marcia name varied.
Most were negative.
The Marcia family had a reputation as ruthless merchants. Fortunately, they had no particular grudges with the dwarves of Beneta.
Or rather, they hadn’t dared to provoke Beneta—it was too risky for them.
“Didn’t the Marcia family collapse months ago?”
“Yes. Now, it’s nothing but ashes.”
“So, you’re broke.”
Some had hoped for more, but as expected, I was just another human with nothing but my body to offer—a useless addition to the blood pact.
The elder dwarves looked at Dorneth with disappointment. Dorneth flinched but shook his head firmly.
“He is a hero who saved the people of this land.”
“That alone does not grant him the qualifications. Do not diminish the ruler’s accomplishments—you were the one who saved the people.”
“He’s my savior!”
Sharbadin, summoning her courage, raised her voice, but the elders shook their heads.
“That debt has already been repaid.”
Dorneth’s golden plaque, combined with the Dark Rose Sharbadin had gifted, was more than enough acknowledgment for a benefactor.
A heavy silence fell.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to justify adding me to the blood pact.
Realizing that no one else could argue on my behalf, I sighed briefly and walked toward the opposing faction. The groundwork had been laid, but now I had to fill in the gaps myself.
What I needed was qualifications.
What could I do to gain the qualifications to crush their opposition?
I absolutely needed to join this blood pact.
I recalled the contents of the letter.
Kamel Blazer.
His actions were slowly tightening the noose around my neck.
To stand against him, I needed backing. And right now, Beneta was my only viable ally. Facing the Butcher alone was a death sentence.
I thought about Beneta’s stories.
Was there any event that could establish my qualifications for a blood pact?
Then, I remembered a place that had only been mentioned in passing—The Cursed Mine.
‘If it’s there…’
As I stepped forward, all the elders’ eyes turned to me. Their gazes were dismissive, but I decided to test their reactions.
“The Cursed Mine.”
“……!”
“H-how does a human know about that?!”
The elders’ extreme reaction confirmed my suspicions.
This would work.
I made my move.
“I’ll break the curse on that mine for you. Will that qualify me?”