In an instant, the Pascal Islands became a madhouse.

Through the fight of Kaizar and Lacromyu, two Supreme Beings, that whole area was reduced to ashes.

Taking that chance, Ian was able to proceed with his quest easier.

Chul-kung-

“Alright, come out this way, everybody! If you go down towards the south, galleon ships should be anchored there!”

As Ian opened the door of the prison with the key that he obtained after catching the guard, the prisoners that were locked inside swarmed out.

• Ooh, thank you.

• His Majesty has not forgotten about us!

Ian, who was riding Halli, quickly went around to every corner of the prison as he rescued the prisoners of Luspel Empire.

In order to get to the centre of the prison, they needed to pass through a path that was setup as complicated as a maze, but as the structure of the centre area was circular and simpler in comparison, so it didn’t take that long to find the prisoners.

Ring-.

• ‘Rescue the War Prisoners’ Quest

• Progress Rate – 52/77 (67.53%)

• Required Condition Achievement Rate – ½ (50.00%)

While looking at the message that popped up, Ian mumbled internally.

‘For the Progress Rate, I knew that it was proportionate to the number of prisoners rescued… But what is the required condition? Is there something else besides rescuing Kaizar?’

Even while moving hurriedly, Ian continuously checked the war situation.

At first, because of their inferiority in numerical strength, the war situation looked unfavourable, but through the joining of the rescued prisoners and the three galleon ships, the tables were turning.

Pung- Pung-!

The sound of cannons burst from all directions.

“Charge! Shoot the dregs to death!”

“Waaa…!”

The supporting troops of Luspel Empire pushed into the prison like a flood, and thanks to that, even Ian, who was isolated position-wise, was able to breath easy.

‘Alright, did everybody succeed in breaking into the inner area?’

Ian turned his gaze and checked the faces of his Familiars, Celia, and Paulean.

And lastly, as he checked the face of Laurent, the Captain, Ian felt relieved for the first time.

‘Whew, is it almost over now?’

Ian, who was focused on rescuing the prisoners for a while, slightly checked his Progress Rate.

• Progress Rate – 72/77 (93.50%)

There were only five prisoners left now.

Just when Ian, who was able to relax a little now, was about to let out a sigh of relief, a system message that whipped(?) him popped up for the second time.

• Irregular event activation! A support fleet of Kaimon Empire is approaching Pascal Prison.

• The time remaining until the support fleet of Kaimon Empire arrives – 00:12:54

• Before Harwin, the Admiral of Kaimon Empire’s Naval Forces, arrives at Pascal Prison, all prisoners must be aboard the galleon ship in order for all of the required conditions to be fulfilled.

The identity of the required condition Ian didn’t know of that was needed in order to complete the quest was revealed.

“… A support fleet of Kaimon Empire? We didn’t come here secretly?”

Ian grumbled ‘there’s no way that it would have been this easy’ dozens of times to himself, as he immediately got on top of Halli’s back and ran like crazy towards the last jail that could be seen at the end of the corridor.

‘Euaah, how do they expect me to board five people onto the ship within 12 minutes?!’

There would be no problem rescuing them.

The problem was, no matter how quickly he moved the prisoners from the jail to the southern seashore where the ship was anchored, it would take over 15 minutes.

However, it wasn’t like there was no method.

Ian just needed to block the support fleet of Kaimon himself.

‘Will I be able to block them off…?’

If he was to block off the naval forces of Kaimon Empire from reaching the Pascal Prison for 5 minutes, the prisoners should be able to safely escape the prison and board the galleon ship that was anchored.

‘Since I have no idea how to big the size of the opponent’s support fleet is.’

To be honest, it was possible that there wouldn’t be a big meaning in knowing the size of the support fleet.

Since it would be impossible for Ian to buy enough time alone even if the fleet was just one or two ships anyways.

However, just then…

A good idea flashed through his mind.

* * *

• You coward…!

Lacromyu’s body slowly collapsed.

Ian, who stealthily approached Kaizar and Lacromyu’s tight, close battle, infiltrated from the back and continuously shot out Magic Spheres.

And its effect was incredibly successful.

Because Kaizar and Lacromyu’s fighting powers were at such a similar level, despite having tilted the weight with additions only slightly, the war situation was turned around in an instant.

Of course, the fact that Lacromyu’s strength was quite drained due to the long battle was also one of the reasons why he collapsed this easily.

“Coward, my ass. You idiot, since when was there such a thing as being a coward in a war? As long as you win, that’s the best thing.”

After sneering at Lacromyu, who was dying, Ian urgently spoke to Kaizar.

“Kaizar, please help me a little.”

At Ian’s words, Kaizar asked with a puzzled expression.

It seemed he was disappointed that he couldn’t finish off with a win on a proper one-on-one battle, as his voice was low.

• What do you mean?

“My que… No, a Kaimon Empire fleet from the east is trying to land. We must block them until the prisoners get on the ship safely.”

At those words, both of Kaizar’s eyes slightly widened.

• No, how did Kaimon Empire know and already send reinforcements…?

“As the size is quite big, it’s impossible for me to take care of alone. I need your help, Kaizar.”

The plan that Ian was thinking of was exactly this.

If he could have Kaizar, who was so strong that his fighting power couldn’t be guessed, with him, he thought that there was a decent chance of winning.

Captain Laurent, and Royal Guard Paulean. And with the support troops as well, they should be able to buy enough time with their opponent as the Kaimon fleet.

Kaizar willingly nodded his head.

• Alright, I will go. By the way, by any chance, do you not have another sword besides this one?

“Sorry?”

Kaizar slightly lifted the Unique-rank sword that he received from Ian as he smiled embarrassedly.

• As you can see, it broke.

During the fierce battle with Lacromyu, the Durability of the item had completely depleted and had broken.

Ian wore a dumbfounded expression.

‘No, I didn’t repair it beforehand, so there wasn’t much Durability left… But it definitely wasn’t to the point that it would deplete this quickly…’

In Kailan, as long as the Durability of an item isn’t completely depleted, it could be continuously repaired and used, but if it is completely depleted once, it became impossible to restore it.

In other words, it meant that the sword that was held in Kaizar’s hands had become a completely useless lump of scrap metal now.

‘Euh… Still, if I put that up in the auction house, it was an item I could have received about 200 thousand gold for…’

A sigh automatically came out of the mouth of Ian, who suddenly wasted money.

“Whew…”

However, no matter how frustrated he was, the one that was disappointed now was not Kaizar, but Ian.

Ian began to thoroughly dig through his inventory.

‘Amongst the items leftover, was there a sword that useful enough?’

However, no matter how much he looked, the only greatsword he had amongst his items was the Legendary item that he received from his battle with Orvil, the ‘Greatsword of the Dark Fenrir’.

‘Eh, what the heck. Who knows, there might be some sort of method.’

As the Greatsword of the Dark Fenrir was an account-bound item, Kaizar would definitely not be able to use it, but Ian first pulled out the item.

“I do happen to have this…”

Ian slurred the end of his sentence as he held up the greatsword.

And both eyes of Kaizar, who saw the Legendary-rank item that gushingly overflowed with glamour, shone.

• Ooh… It has truly been a while since I’ve seen a sword as good as this.

“But there’s one problem.”

• Problem?

“This sword is an item that is bound to me. You probably won’t be able to use it, Kaizar.”

Disappointment flashed through both of Kaizar’s eyes.

• Hmm… Is there really no way? If it’s that sword, it definitely won’t lack in slaughtering the rookies of Kaimon…

Ian replied without much thought.

“There is a method.”

• What is it?

“You just need to come in as my retainer. Since retainers can also use the items that are bound to me.”

• Oh, really?

“…?”

Ian wore a dumbfounded expression.

‘Really? What, is he saying that he would be willing to come in as my retainer or what?’

Kaizar was an important NPC to the point that the leader of the royal guards, Hellaim, even said that he was someone that was absolutely necessary in order to win the war.

On top of that, he was an amazingly super strong being to the point that his fighting power examined with both eyes couldn’t even be estimated.

There was no way that he, who definitely had to be a high-rank aristocrat or a knight affiliated with the imperial family, could be Ian’s retainer.

However, at that moment, a system message that Ian couldn’t believe popped up right in front of his eyes.

• ‘Undefeated Swordsman Kaizar’ wishes to be your retainer.

“…?”

Ian turned his head towards Kaizar with a dazed expression.

Kaizar pressed Ian.

• What are you doing instead of accepting it? There’s no time.

“Kaizar, you weren’t an aristocrat?”

Ian thought that Kaizar would definitely be a higher-ranking aristocrat than him.

However, his response that followed was a highlight.

• I’m a commoner.

“…”

‘No, what kind of commoner speaks informally to an aristocrat so naturally?’

Ian grumbled to himself, but in order to accept Kaizar’s proposal quickly, he pulled out the Seal of the Lord.

“You can’t return it later.”

At Ian’s words, Kaizar answered with a disgruntled expression.

• That depends on how well you do.

“Ha…”

A sigh automatically escaped his mouth, but as he couldn’t kick away the chance to gain such an incredible retainer like him, he immediately proceeded with the contract.

Whoong-

A light shone from the seal that Ian held in his hand and seeped into Kaizar’s wrist.

• You have gained ‘Undefeated Swordsman Kaizar’ as a retainer.

• As retainer ‘Kaizar’s Talent Rank is ‘Mythological’-rank, his current stats are ‘Legendary’-rank.

• Current situation of ‘Ian’s retainers: 6/20

And Ian, who checked the system message, let out a shout of delight internally.

‘My, Mythological-rank? This crazy…!’

As Celia’s Talent Rank was Heroic-rank, he vaguely expected Kaizar’s rank to be over a Legendary-rank, but after actually checking the words Mythological-rank, it didn’t really hit him yet.

‘How high are his stats exactly?’

The moment he was about to check Kaizar’s stats with a fluttering heart, Kaizar immediately snatched the Greatsword of the Dark Fenrir that was held in Ian’s hands and threw his body outside of the prison.

• You have given the item, the ‘Greatsword of the Dark Fenrir’, to retainer ‘Kaizar’.

At the following system message that popped up, Ian couldn’t even be dumbfounded, and went to the point of dejection.

‘No, give to him, my ass! This is robbery, how could it be giving!’

However, right now, there was no time for Ian to even be mad.

And with one Legendary-rank item, he had obtained a Mythological-rank NPC, so to be honest, it wasn’t a loss on his part.

• Lord guy, you said there was no time. Move quickly.

At Kaizar’s scolding(?), Ian followed him with a flabbergasted expression.

‘No, in what country is a retainer like that?’

Ian followed Kaizar as he kept complaining to himself.

However, Ian, who belatedly checked Kaizar’s level, couldn’t help but follow behind him without a word.

• Undefeated Swordsman Kaizar, Lv 246