Initiation Into the Rune Knights

Once the paperwork was done Barat lead me to another part of the building saying, "Now that you're one of us you've got to look the part."

And soon were in front of a small room and when I entered I realized that it was an armory filled with swords, armors, and trinkets of all types.

Once we were in Barat yelled out, "Talnus you old goat are you here!?"

A clatter of falling metal could be heard as a small old man walked out of the room, he was hunched over walking with a cane and his hair wispy and snow white.

He looked and us and asked, "What do you want? Is this a new recruit?"

Barat said, "Yup, get him our uniform. Make sure that all the enchantments on it are up to date as well, this one here deserves the best treatment."

Talnus nodded and headed back to the room I heard some shuffling before he got a uniform and said, "Here we are the new iteration of the uniform."

"Enhanced with magic that makes punches seem like light taps, flames feel light a hot breeze and chilling winds a distant memory."

He said, "Go change into it."

He pointed at a small changing room in the back. I put it on but it didn't fit me right. Just as I walked out to complain about it, Talnus yelled, "Armament Magic: Resize."

It suddenly fit perfectly. Seeing the surprise on my face Barat said, "Don't underestimate old Talnus he has been with the organization for 60 years, he is a master in enchanting weaponry."

"Maybe later on when you've got more coin you can head back here to enchant your sword. I would be such a shame if you just left it as it is."

I nodded and said, "I'll think about it. I don't use a sword much so I don't know how much use I can get out of it even if I do enchant it."

Barat laughed, "You don't even use it. If any of the swordsmen here heard you've got such a high-quality sword like that and didn't use it I think they would try and kill you for it."

I also laughed, it was true I was kind of wasting its potential. Maybe I will learn some swordsmanship while I was here I wouldn't hurt.

He then led me to a massive library and picked out a heavy book, "Here is the laws and regulations that you must memorize."

"We would usually get you to remember it first before you joined but considering your power we made an exception. So have fun learning all of it."

Seeing my look of pain, he chuckled, "You don't have to remember all of it. I mean even I haven't, just give it a read through and understand the gist of things."

"The only thing you must memorize is the first 10 pages. Those are the codes that we live by, so if you want to become a true Rune Knight you have to know these things by heart."

Once that was taken care of, he lead us to a small dorm and said, "This will be your room. You won't have any roommates but you will have neighbors. Try and get along with them."

He said, "That concludes the tour for the day. The mess hall is just down the hallway to the left, you can go there if you want and the food or drinks it's completely free."

"As for your salary you will get it at the end of every month, just try and settle in for now. I won't call you for a mission for at least a week."

I nodded and settled into my room. I looked at my place, I had a bed, a table and chair, and an empty bookshelf. There was also a door that lead to my toilet.

Thank god it was private, I hate sharing my toilet with other people. I then sat down and began to read the book Barat handed me.

With my incredibly high intelligence, it was a quick read. That was the benefit of a high intelligence stat, you can process information faster, store more of it, and even multitask better.

It didn't however affect your creativity or your actually wit. I wouldn't be able to make great leaps of deduction like Sherlock Holmes if I didn't understand his methodology.

It was more like I could think more but not better. I had to learn actual skills to use my high intelligence stat in a useful way.

So basically most of the books were laws like how to act in public, when to use magic, what is excessive force, and stuff like that.

It was all stuff that you would expect a soldier or policeman to learn but in the first 10 pages where they described their code was a departure from normality.

The first code was Never Suffer a Demon to Exist. Which basically boiled down to kill every demon you could see and anyone who was helping them.

The second one was more normal Magic Should Always be Used for the Betterment of Society. Saying do good things with magic and all that jazz.

The third was interesting and really showed the difference between our 2 worlds, Only the Strong May Enforce Their Rule. This basically said if you were weak then you would be killed.

This was the difference between Earth and this World, back on Earth one man alone couldn't change the world but here they can.

This was the result of hundreds of years of history where the person that ruled was not the most qualified but the strongest.

It basically told us if we want to protect the peace we have now or to change the world for the better then we better be strong.

The fourth was Never Enjoy the Suffering Of Others, which is exactly how it sounds even making sure to tell us that it applies to all people even murders and rapists.

Lastly, the fifth was Be Kind to All Those Around You, and yeah it was the general be kind rule which seemed pretty standard.

And that was all. It was a pretty barebones set of rules that didn't even touch on being truthful, honorable, or any of that stuff.

But I guess if you are a military organization then honor and truthfulness would be one of the first things to go.

It was interesting at least, especially the part about killing demons as it was literally the first rule. I guess they really hate Zeref and his demons.

I put the book down and went to mess hall, I noticed that it was pretty empty, but I guess heading there at 3 pm is a pretty weird time so others would come around at other times.

I got some food and sat down at one of the long tables, not long after that another Rune Knight sat in front of me.

He looked as young as me with blonde and blue eyes, an excited grin on his face. He asked, "Are you really the Maniac Marcus Fulbright?"

I said, "Isn't it pretty rude to ask questions like that before introducing yourself."

He laughed, scratching the back of his head, and said, "Sorry I get too excited sometimes. My name is Fulmiur Heltus. I've just joined the Rune Knight like you. So what made you join?"

I sighed, "Well you know I did bad things in my lifetime so I decided that I needed to repent and I joined the Rune Knights to do just that."

Fulmiur asked, "So the stories are true then?"

I said, "What stories?"

He said, "That you were adopted as a child into one of the dark guilds, and after killing one of the elite members you managed to join the Balam Alliance as one of its executors."

"I heard you managed to kill an entire 1,000-strong army by yourself and killed a group of 4 mages that were wreaking havoc across the south of Fiore."

I noticed that what he was describing actually fit what I did back on Earth. The killing of the 1000-strong army was me killing the New Imperium and the group of 4 were the bandits.

I said, "Yeah I did do that."

Fulmiur said, "That's incredible I'm sure that you will rise up the ranks with such power."

I said, "Don't worry I'm sure you can do so as well. What is your magic?"

Fulmiur said, "It's nothing special just your pretty common Lightning and Requip Magic."

I said, "That's a pretty good combination, it covers both long-range and short-range."

He smiled, "Thanks, I will try my best to rise up as quickly as you."

I talked to him more trying to gather more information about my background and he provided it freely. So apparently in this world, I was a renowned executor.

This meant that basically, the Balam Alliance would point me at something they wanted gone, then I would go there and destroy it.

I was apparently one of their more famous ones as I fought hand-to-hand unlike most other executors who used more nefarious ways, and I took any missions given.

I was famous for going on suicide missions voluntarily and surviving. I may not have completed all those missions but I had survived which is more than most could say.

That was where I got the name Maniac for having no self-preservation instinct. I was their mad dog and my betrayal had been a shock to both sides of the conflict.

I had a terrible reputation for uncontrollable rage and violence, that was why my switching sides was so surprising for both of them.

Though some of the rumors for why I betrayed them from Fulmiur ranged from having a lover to just doing it for fun, nothing concrete.

But interestingly, I was missing for 3 months before I had betrayed the Balam Alliance and Fulmiur tried everything he could to make me tell him where I was during that time.

Things were getting more and more interesting about my background but for now, I had to turn this terrible reputation around.

At least I had the reputation of strength most pegging me as a high A-rank or low S-rank mage. I was higher than that probably around the middle to high S-rank mage range.

I bid Fulmiur goodbye and began plotting how to make people believe that a lunatic turned into a saint, it was not going to be an easy sell but I believed I had the skills.