Magnus walked quietly down the street, his thoughts still occupied by his conversation with the Major General. He had a better grasp of what he was up against now, but that only made his goals feel even more daunting.
Right now, my best leads on the Jackals are those two vampires I captured. As for Zeth… I only came up with two options while talking to Arbarth. The first is Luden. I asked him to look into why Zeth's Titan Soldiers were acting as security at his celebration. If he finds any link between their guild and Zeth, that might give me a clue about where to find him. As for the second... the only other person I know who's had contact with Zeth is Celia's brother… Jerel.
He had never pressed Celia or Jerel about Zeth before—it seemed like a personal matter. But he couldn't afford to respect people's privacy anymore. Not when Nightshade had taken an interest in his head, and not when Zeth's people were somehow getting tangled up with the nobility of the Upper City. If Nightshade had already sunk its claws deep into the Outer and Lower City, then the Upper City was the last untouched part of Arlcliff City. Most nobles, aside from those profiting from the slave trade, refused to associate with criminals.
It was a matter of pride and reputation rather than morals. Still it made a huge difference.
The Major General had to work within the military's checks and balances. He couldn't risk pushing too hard without the right backing. But if the nobility truly wanted to wipe out Nightshade, they wouldn't have nearly as many restrictions on how they did it.
The Batis Military and the Four Rings of Nobility simply operated on two completely different sets of rules.
With that in mind, Magnus decided his next stop would be Jerel's smithy.
Before leaving Arlcliff City, he was supposed to meet with Jerel about modifying Rokshaata using the new alloy—one that contained a piece of the Knockout Brick. That upgrade would have made it a weapon capable of instantly knocking out anything it touched. It would have been amazing to have when he went up against the Nullfang and the other countless dangers he had run into while traveling with Seraline. But with the Major General suddenly calling for his help—and Mia and the others possibly in danger—he had no choice but to put it off.
This time, he chose to walk instead of fly, giving himself more time to think. The smithy wasn't far, sitting near both the garrison and the Major General's Villa, so it didn't take long to get there. As he approached, he noticed the forge was silent. No roaring flames, no hammer striking metal. That meant Jerel was either manning the counter or the shop was closed.
But when he reached the door, he found it unlocked.
Guess not.
Stepping inside, his eyes immediately landed on Jerel at the counter. The shop wasn't empty—just ahead, a group of men hovered near a display of weapons. From their appearance, Magnus assumed they were either mercenaries or off-duty soldiers. They glanced his way as the door opened, but after sizing him up, they lost interest and went back to browsing.
Jerel, on the other hand, straightened from his relaxed position at the counter the moment he saw Magnus.
"Oh, Magnus. Wasn't expecting to see you today. Where have you been?" From Jerel's perspective, Magnus had dropped by with his request to coat Rokshaata in alloy, set a date, and then completely vanished. He hadn't known how to get in contact with him—except through Celia, which obviously wasn't happening—so the whole thing had been left on hold.
Magnus stepped up to the counter.
"Yeah, I know. Trust me, it's a long story. But to keep it short, I had to deal with an emergency outside Arlcliff City. It ended up overlapping with the date we set, and… well, it kind of slipped my mind."
"I see. Well, I can't blame you if it was an emergency," Jerel said, waving it off.
"If I'm being honest, it took me a bit longer than expected to get the mold just right since I didn't have the actual object to cast. But that just gave me more time to practice, so I'm confident I can make the modifications you wanted—if you're still interested, of course."
"Oh, I definitely am. Trust me." Magnus nodded.
"But I didn't bring the material with me this time. Today, I actually came here to talk about something else. Something… personal. Private." His voice lowered slightly to emphasize the seriousness of the matter.
Jerel studied him for a moment, furrowing his brows.
"I see… Well, alright then. Let me handle those guys over there, and I'll close the smithy for a bit."
"Thanks." Magnus stepped aside, giving Jerel room to work.
The group of men eventually picked out their weapons, with Jerel subtly guiding them toward options that suited them better. Magnus had to admit, he was good at his job. Whether it was forging or selling, he could read people like a book, knowing exactly what they were looking for. Once the customers were gone and the door shut behind them, Jerel flipped the sign to closed and locked it before returning to the counter.
"Alright. So, what is it you want to talk about?"
"It's about Zeth," Magnus started.
Jerel's expression froze for a split second before he let out a chuckle.
"Oh, Magnus, if this is about Zeth and his men coming to the smithy, you don't have to worry about that. Like I said last time, they've been a lot more docile because of you. They only show up when it's time to receive their equipment-"
Magnus shook his head, cutting him off.
"That's not what I meant." He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"Look, it's obvious you and Celia know Zeth... personally. More than just in passing. I need you to tell me what you know about him. Places he hangs out, people he's close to, what he's been up to—anything. If you don't know, that's fine. But I need whatever you've got." Jerel went quiet, his expression turning contemplative.
After a moment, he finally asked, "Can I ask what this is about?"
Magnus nodded.
"Yeah. From what I can tell, Celia wasn't kidnapped because of Zeth or any grudge he has against me. It was just a shitty coincidence. But that doesn't change the fact that it happened, and that Nightshade—the criminal syndicate Zeth is part of—was responsible for it. At first, Zeth put a target on my back and a bounty on my head. Though, after the last attempt, I doubt anyone has the guts to come after it now. Still, after I rescued Celia, I ended up pissing off another branch of that same syndicate. When I got back to Arlcliff City, they ambushed me and tried to kill me." Magnus laid it all out flat, causing Jerel's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Wait, you were attacked? Are you okay?" Jerel asked, scanning him up and down.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I handled them. But that doesn't change the fact that I can't avoid Zeth or the people around him anymore. My only options are to either wait until they finally get me... or deal with it before it gets to that point. And to do that, I need information. Where Zeth hangs out, who he's close to—anything that might help." Jerel's gaze drifted as he listened, his expression shifting into something conflicted. He stayed quiet for a minute, his jaw tightening, as if weighing his next words carefully.
Eventually, he let out a sigh.
"Alright, look. I met Zeth for the first time when I was young. Well... younger than I am now, at least. Back then, I was stupid, vain... and cruel. I didn't listen to the people who cared about me, and because of that, I got involved with people I shouldn't have. Zeth was one of those people. Now, I'm not going to go into detail—it's as much Celia's story to tell as it is mine, and I have a feeling she wouldn't want you knowing. But what I can tell you is a few things I've noticed—things that don't quite add up. For example, Nightshade? It originally wasn't just some syndicate Zeth was a part of. It was his. He was the one in charge."
Magnus's brows lifted slightly.
"Wait… are you saying Zeth made Nightshade?"
Jerel nodded.
"That's right. Which is why I find it odd that he's apparently working for someone now. Nightshade was his, so either his current boss took over, or... he willingly gave up the position. Either way, with his ego, I can't imagine he's too happy working under anyone."
"Huh..." Magnus muttered, tapping his chin.
"Aside from that, Zeth himself has changed a lot too. Like I said, he has an ego. And back then, he didn't hide it. He was known to blow his top whenever someone pissed him off—or even just looked at him the wrong way. But now? He's different. More meticulous. More careful. He rarely showed up here to begin with, and after what you did to him, he doesn't drop by at all. Just sends his goons to deliver messages. Honestly? Between his personality shift and the fact that he willingly stepped down as Nightshade's leader... it almost feels like he-"
"He's being ordered around by someone," Magnus finished, his thoughts flashing back to his conversation with Luden during the celebration. The possibility that Zeth's syndicate was being secretly backed by a noble family or a rogue mage had already crossed his mind. And between the two, the latter seemed far more likely.
Jerel nodded, his gaze settling on Magnus.
"Yeah. I'm not sure if it's this so-called boss of his or someone else, but he's completely different these days. So, I'd say it's a safe bet. I have no clue who, though. After I cut ties with him and the people he ran with, I tried to stay out of that kind of life. But once you get your hands dirty, it's hard to stay clean. Eventually, he came back around, badgering me to start making things for him again. I couldn't—and still can't—say no. For a lot of reasons. But you can probably guess Celia is one of them. I don't want her getting caught up in this. And Zeth... he doesn't mind crossing the line when it comes to family. Trust me." Jerel's tone darkened on those last few words, and Magnus decided not to push for more details.
"Alright," Magnus said, shifting the topic.
"What about the equipment he has you make? Does he ask for anything specific?"
Jerel thought for a moment.
"Hmm… I don't know. The equipment itself isn't anything special—just the kind of stuff you'd expect a soldier or mercenary to use. Especially mercenaries, actually. But now that I think about it, I never see the men he surrounds himself with actually using the gear I send them."
Magnus frowned as he asked, "What do you mean?"
"Huh? Oh, it's the materials he makes me use. He won't let me work with normal iron or steel. He insists on the expensive stuff—the kind typically used for mercenaries who deal with monsters or mana beasts. Those things have tougher hides than any animal in the wild—sometimes as tough as heavy armor—so the weapons and gear have to be made from sturdier materials." As soon as Jerel said that, Magnus's mind flashed back to the guards he'd seen at Luden's celebration. He'd already recognized them as Titan Soldiers based on their sheer size alone, but their armor had caught his attention, too—bulky, heavy, almost excessive.
Even though they carried weapons, he had wondered how they could even move in all that weight. That thought led Magnus to his next question.
"Has he been asking you to make heavier armor lately? The kind that a normal person definitely wouldn't be able to wear?" Jerel barely had to think before answering.
"Actually... yeah. Now that you mention it, aside from the usual orders, he added some extra requests not too long ago. I didn't think much of it—he's always got some random add-ons—but I did notice the proportions were off. There's no way a normal person could move in some of the armor he's having me make. Not with the materials I'm using."
I see. Now it's all coming together. Zeth had been using Jerel to produce equipment for the Titan Soldiers—and on top of that, he has them operating like a mercenary guild. Not only that, but he was specifically outfitting them with gear designed to counter monsters and even mana beasts. If that was the case, then his goal is pretty damn obvious. And it explained why the nobles were so willing to hire them.
He was offering protection—to anyone willing to pay the right price.
Right now, the Batis Kingdom was in a fragile state. The surge in monster populations had cut off entire trade routes across multiple regions. It wasn't just merchants who were struggling—Arlcliff City's own supply lines were probably under constant attack. If not by monsters or mana beasts, then by bandits taking advantage of the chaos.
Normally, a crisis like this would fall to the military. But there were countless reasons why they couldn't step in—chief among them, the two-front war.
That left hiring a mercenary guild as the next best option. But even they had their limits.
The few guilds with mercenaries qualified for escort missions in these conditions charged exorbitant prices—so high that the cost of safe travel often outweighed the profit. And even if the nobles were willing to pay, the sheer volume of requests would overwhelm the few guilds there were. As for the rest? From the very start, guild work was essentially freelancing. They had no real obligation to accept jobs. If something was too dangerous, they could simply turn it down. That meant, even with mercenary guilds present in Arlcliff City, they weren't reliable.
But what if there was one? A guild with the manpower and the skill to protect investments, secure supply routes, and ensure safe trade?
Magnus had fought Zeth's Titan Soldiers before—handled them easily, even before his body and skeleton upgrades. But he was an exception, not the rule. Their strength was undeniably supernatural and beyond normal humans. If they were fully equipped with heavy armor and the right gear, dealing with monsters—or even Apprentice-level mana beasts—was possible with enough numbers.
Seraline told me herself, didn't she? That creating super soldiers is one of the most sought-after abilities in the world. Especially with how rare knights and mages are. One is an accidental phenomenon, the other is deliberate. They can't be compared.
Zeth was counting on that.
He was using the Titan Soldiers to sell his services to the nobility—the one group in Batis currently at a dead end when it came to securing trade routes and supply chains. And that all tied back to why magic was so tightly restricted, why rogue mages—like the one pulling Zeth's strings—were hunted.
Zeth had created a monopoly. A service only he could provide. And through it, he was forging connections with the nobility—the same people even the Major General had to be careful around.
Shit... If I'm right about all of this, I need to meet with Luden and fast.
"Magnus, are you alright?" Jerel's voice suddenly pulled him from his thoughts.
"Hmm? Oh- Yeah. I just…" Magnus hesitated for a moment before sighing.
"You helped me figure something out. Something serious." Jerel's expression shifted slightly, concern creeping in. Not wanting to make things worse, Magnus tried to ease the tension in his posture as he continued.
"Don't worry. This is actually a good thing. Now that I've pieced it together, I can narrow down exactly what Zeth's up to—and hopefully put a stop to it before it gets out of hand."
"And if something does go wrong?" Jerel asked, a note of caution in his voice.
Magnus's expression turned solemn.
"Then Arlcliff City is going to get very chaotic. But don't worry—I'll do my best to keep Celia safe and make sure she doesn't get involved." Something seemed to click for Jerel at that. He let out a short chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah, I know. I don't know how I know, but I do believe you. And somehow… that makes it worse."
Magnus tilted his head, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Jerel shrugged.
"I'm her brother, you know? It's almost embarrassing how much I have to rely on you to handle this kind of thing. But I guess that's what happens when you're too weak to protect the people you care about." His voice lowered slightly.
"So in the end… all I can really say is thank you." Magnus blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before letting out an awkward chuckle.
"Well... if you put it like that, you're gonna make me feel bad."
"Right, sorry." Jerel shook his head, exhaling.
"Anyway, I'm glad I could help, even if I'm not sure what you're planning. At the very least, whenever you're ready, bring that material over, and I'll make the alloy."
Magnus nodded.
"Right. Don't worry, I won't forget this time." They talked for a little while longer before Magnus turned to leave. He needed to find Luden, but since he wasn't exactly sure where he was, heading back to the academy seemed like the best option for now.
Just as he reached the door, Jerel called out.
"Oh, one last thing, Magnus."
Magnus glanced back over his shoulder, a questioning look on his face.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Jerel hesitated.
"If… if Celia ever tells you about what happened—between our family and Zeth—then I..." He paused, then shook his head.
"Actually, never mind. If she tells you that much, I won't need to say anything. You're smart enough to figure it out on your own." Magnus frowned slightly, but nodded.
"Right... Well, see you."