Detect Evil

"Sigh, why can't I just control these hands of mine?" Rubbing the gold coin between his fingers, Anbaixiu lamented from the depths of his soul. This party preparing to venture into the sewers had actually been generous enough to offer an "interview fee" of one gold coin. Even if they ended up not working together, Anbaixiu would have pocketed a gold coin for free. While mages belonged to an exalted profession and it was perfectly reasonable for adventurers inviting one to their party to provide a modest interview fee, an entire gold coin was far too extravagant. It was as brazen as tipping that dwarf singer just to make him shut up. Anbaixiu, who had still been slightly hesitant, found himself utterly unable to refuse once the coin was in his grasp. Yet having taken the money, the worries in his heart only deepened. The adventuring profession was often barely distinguishable from vagrants and vagabonds; very few among them were genuinely good people. Being willing to part with so much coin usually meant one of two things, besides having real capability: either the quest was extraordinarily difficult, or they were plotting to stab their teammates in the back. After all, mages were wealthy in the vast majority of cases. Stripping a few enchanted pieces of gear off a dead mage could easily net thousands or even tens of thousands of gold coins. But if that were the case, Anbaixiu would be all the happier. Turning the tables on treacherous scum—who didn't know how to play that game? If he acted in self-defense, the City of Alchemy wouldn't have any excuse to cause him trouble, and Anbaixiu could bleed the adventuring party dry to make a tidy profit. A sham legend was still a legend. With the added advantage of keeping his lich identity hidden, wouldn't bullying a bunch of adventurers be as easy as breathing? The real trouble lay in quest difficulty. If this party wasn't out to betray their comrades, spending so much money to hire a mage meant they had run into something terribly troublesome. Unable to loot them and saddled with handling a massive headache, the deal wouldn't feel nearly as profitable. Of course, if push came to shove, he could always refuse to cooperate; pocketing a gold coin for nothing was acceptable enough. Anbaixiu sat in a corner of the tavern, quietly awaiting the adventuring party's arrival. According to the orc bartender, they were rushing over from outside the City of Alchemy and likely wouldn't arrive until the early hours of the morning. During this time, Anbaixiu devised several schemes to fleece them, along with several lines of rhetoric for bargaining. Yet when the adventuring party finally appeared, Anbaixiu instantly realized all his scheming had been in vain. It was a party of three: a knight clad in full armor, their head encased completely within a close-faced helm; a war cleric in chainmail with a warhammer the size of a human head hanging at his waist; and a young man dressed as a mage, who looked exceptionally shabby in comparison to the other two. "A paladin and a war cleric from the Ryan Empire?" Anbaixiu murmured in surprise. There was no mistaking them, for the equipment on two of them bore the emblem of the rose and the dragon unique to the Ryan Empire. Nor was this standard issue; it was an insignia that only members of the Royal Paladin Legion were permitted to bear. Translated into aristocratic rank, each of the two was at least a viscount holding an independent fief. No wonder they were so lavish with their money. Compared to ordinary adventurers, these two counted as wealthy and influential figures of high status. Yet why would a paladin and cleric of the Ryan Empire show up in the City of Alchemy? The relationship between the two realms was hardly amicable. The City of Alchemy discriminated equally against all muggles who did not understand alchemy and magic, while the Ryan Empire discriminated equally against all non-human races. Much like scoundrels despising other scoundrels, the two nations, with their differing standards of bigotry, had always held mutual contempt for one another. The Ryan Empire viewed the City of Alchemy, teeming with every conceivable race, as nothing short of a realm of heretics. The City of Alchemy, meanwhile, thought the Ryan Empire—bellowing all day about Holy Light, evil, and honor as they charged in screaming to hack people apart—was barely any better than barbarians. Although they had never declared open hostility, friction between them was constant. The appearance of these two was thus exceedingly bizarre, so much so that every eye in the tavern fixed upon them the moment they stepped through the door. Everyone knew the Ryan Empire's style; with a few lizardfolk and drow drinking right here, who knew if they might suddenly yell, "By the Holy Light, the evil ahead is a worthy foe!" and start swinging? Amid the tense atmosphere, the shabby mage beside them stepped forward to smooth things over. "Hahaha! Second time here, and this tavern is as lively as ever! You two take a seat, and I'll go order a couple cups of fine ale." Anbaixiu had no idea that this young mage before him even shared a slight connection with him: it was none other than Harvey, the apprentice mage who had accompanied the Porcupine Knight on that patrol outside his territory. Hearing Harvey say those few words, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Since it wasn't their first visit, they probably wouldn't come to blows, right? No heinous diplomatic incident resulting in mass casualties had been reported here last time, so it likely wasn't a major issue. Even though that logic held, quite a few patrons still tossed down their coin and left. For anyone harboring dark secrets or malicious intent, sitting in the same room as a paladin was sheer torture. The paladin and cleric seemed well-accustomed to being shunned in this manner, casually taking their seats in another corner of the tavern. Even dressed in full plate armor, he still chose a seat against the wall while drinking. Truly a well-trained paladin, fully aware of what kind of scum his enemies were. Harvey scurried about, soon breaking into a profuse sweat. The Porcupine Knight had put in considerable effort to win the favor of these two prominent figures from the Ryan Empire. Although he still hadn't figured out why they had come to the City of Alchemy, he had at least managed to recommend Harvey to them as a guide. When the two suddenly announced they wanted to explore the sewers of the City of Alchemy, Harvey had no choice but to serve as their errand boy. Just securing entry permits into the city had nearly worked him to the bone, followed by obtaining adventuring permits and searching for teammates. A paladin of the Ryan Empire looking to form a party might have easily found companions elsewhere. Rigid in dogma and blatantly prejudiced as they were, a paladin's strength was beyond doubt. Moreover, they would never violate their oaths or backstab their allies, making them exceptionally reliable companions. Yet this was the City of Alchemy. Human adventurers made up only a small fraction of the population here, and what they needed was a mage proficient in a specific school of magic, making suitable candidates even scarcer. The few mages they had tracked down previously had all failed to reach an agreement, and some had even parted on bitter terms. As a result, the interview fee had gradually climbed to one gold coin. Having received a magical transmission today that another prospect had been found, they had hurried over at once. The orc bartender warmly introduced Anbaixiu to Harvey. "Hello, I am William Harvey, an apprentice mage." Harvey took the greeting as an opportunity to size up the dark-haired youth, who looked even younger than himself. To his surprise, Harvey noticed that Anbaixiu's hair color, eye color, and facial contours did not match those of humans from any region he knew. Instead, there was an ethereal elegance reminiscent of elves, though it was impossible to tell what kind of elven bloodline might be mixed in. Still, good looks meant nothing. A mage cast spells with intelligence, unlike sorcerers or warlocks who made their living off charisma. "Hello, I am Ultraman Tiga," Anbaixiu said, casually tossing out his chat group handle. "Greetings, Master Ultraman. I trust you are aware of our requirements. We need a mage proficient in ice magic..." No sooner had Harvey finished speaking than Anbaixiu raised a palm. A cluster of frost energy condensed within his hand. Examining the magical structure, Harvey recognized it as Ray of Frost, a low-tier frost cantrip. Casting a cantrip was hardly difficult; even an apprentice mage could master one with diligent practice. Just as Harvey was about to raise a doubt, however, the frosty energy in Anbaixiu's palm split into two distinct clusters. Twin cast? A sorcerer's metamagic... No, this was pure magical control. A true expert needed only one move to display their caliber. Harvey was left with nothing but admiration. His earlier address of "Master Ultraman" had merely been a polite pleasantry, but now it felt entirely deserved. Harvey looked toward the paladin and nodded to signal his approval of Anbaixiu's capabilities. Harvey was only responsible for verifying his competence; whether they could cooperate depended on the word of the two from the Ryan Empire. "My lords, this is already the fifth candidate, and perhaps our last chance. So..." Harvey gave a subtle hint, meaning they should under no circumstances let things deteriorate to the point of almost drawing blades like before, or they truly wouldn't be able to find a teammate. The paladin was utterly indifferent to Harvey's warning. In an almost emotionless voice, he spoke to Anbaixiu, "Lord Ultraman, my faith forbids me from cooperating with evil. I wish to cast Detect Evil upon you. Do you consent?" Anbaixiu: "..."