Chapter 98: The Villain is a Good Thing

Chapter 98: The Villain is a Good Thing

"As a loyal guardian knight of the sanctuary, you have fulfilled your mission admirably."

The thin man spoke slowly, while the other two still showed no intention of speaking.

"The council has already reviewed Archbishop Carl's report. You performed excellently during the Dark Marsh incident. Not only did you uncover the cultists' conspiracy right away, but you also promptly notified the sanctuary and foiled their plan to reopen the Gates of Hell. And let's not forget, this also involved Bella…"

At this point, the thin man's tone softened, ever so slightly.

"…Everything you did will be remembered by the Order."

"It's my honor."

Hearing the thin man's words, Alex couldn't help but smile inwardly. This was exactly the outcome he had hoped for. Reality isn't like a game, where you can simply complete a mission. In real life, you have to carefully manage your identity and political standing. Politics is an unavoidable aspect of human life, whether you're in a lab, an office, or a boardroom. Knowing how to navigate social dynamics is key to climbing the ranks. If you lack those skills, then you'd better have an exceptional talent to compensate for it.

The reason Alex didn't just activate his soulstone and charge into the battle was partly out of caution, and partly because he had to consider the internal dynamics of the sanctuary. Even though he was technically a part of the sanctuary, he had been missing for so long. If he wanted to return without facing too much scrutiny or suppression, he needed to win over some allies. Stone was obviously his backer, but Alex knew it wouldn't be wise to rely solely on one person.

This was also why he chose to wait for reinforcements. The more dangerous the mission, the greater the reward upon completion. It's just like tackling a key technical project in a company—while the task is difficult, once you succeed, any competent leader would recognize the contribution and reward the department accordingly.

And based on the tone of Fina and the other sanctuary warriors, Alex could tell that reopening the Gates of Hell was a major and terrifying event, one with far-reaching consequences. Such an event, by all logic, should be handled under the sanctuary's leadership. That's another reason why Alex refrained from taking the situation into his own hands and waited for backup.

After all, in situations like these, sharing both the glory and the risks is the most sensible approach.

Had Alex gone ahead and dealt with everything on his own, people would have still credited him due to his position as a guardian knight. But the recognition would have been limited to him personally. To be honest, Alex wasn't in a position to act alone just yet.

It's like trying to apprehend a criminal—if you're just an ordinary civilian and you attempt to catch a fugitive, people might call it brave even if you fail. But if you're a police officer, even a rookie, charging in recklessly without calling for backup would surely lead to criticism, regardless of whether you succeed or not. They'd ask why you didn't contact your superiors, why you acted on your own, or why you didn't consider the safety of your surroundings.

Alex's current role within the sanctuary was similar to that of a rookie cop. No matter how competent you are, you're expected to contact the organization first and let them decide how to proceed.

This way, if the mission succeeds, everyone benefits, and no one sees you as someone trying to hog the glory. If it fails, you won't have to shoulder all the blame alone.

Collective decision-making is invaluable. If things go wrong, you can always pass the responsibility up the chain. After all, what's the point of having a board of directors if not for this?

This is why the northern sanctuary had a favorable attitude toward Alex at the moment. According to Archbishop Carl's report, Alex had indeed done the bulk of the work, but the sanctuary had also contributed in the fierce battle. Even though there were only about twenty Pegasus knights, they had effectively neutralized the enemy's aerial forces. Based on their contributions, they could reasonably claim forty percent of the credit.

As a result, their end-of-year performance evaluations would surely go up, and the northern sanctuary would earn some recognition among their peers.

If Alex had handled everything on his own, the northern sanctuary might not have openly complained, but they would have definitely felt resentful deep down. They might think, "What, you handled everything by yourself? Are we just useless?" And the next time they stepped out, people might say, "I didn't realize the northern sanctuary was full of incompetents, having to rely on a guardian knight—oh, an apprentice no less—to save you all. How embarrassing."

In that case, Alex would not only miss out on any benefits but also earn the enmity of the entire northern sanctuary—definitely a lose-lose situation.

But now... his reputation in the northern sanctuary was likely, at the very least, friendly, if not respectful.

"I assume you're already aware that, due to your recent accomplishments, the council has awarded you the title of great paladin. And this time, with your efforts in safeguarding the Order's glory in the Dark Marsh, well…"

The thin man paused, clearly struggling to find the right words. Alex understood why the man felt conflicted. Technically speaking, Alex's promotion to great paladin had already been his reward, but the problem was that the council had treated him as a martyr. This made it tricky to reward him again. His current rank and abilities weren't quite enough to warrant making him a paladin commander, but the fact that Alex had defeated the six-armed demon lord Bella and destroyed the Hell Gate formation was an undeniable achievement. With so many witnesses, the council couldn't ignore his contributions.

If they didn't offer him any additional rewards, it would surely raise concerns among the others.

But the reward itself posed a challenge. If the reward was too small, people would think that after all Alex's hard work, the sanctuary was merely throwing scraps at him, leaving him disheartened. If the reward was too generous, given Alex's age and limited experience, it could stir resentment among the veterans. So the best solution was…

"After discussing it, the council has decided that the sanctuary is willing to meet any of your requests. You may ask for whatever you desire. As the guardians and protectors of order, we are never stingy with rewards."

See, they've passed the responsibility right back to me.

Upon hearing this, Alex raised an eyebrow. As expected, negotiating rewards is the same everywhere. Sure, the council made it sound grand, claiming he could ask for anything. But if Alex made some unreasonable demands, it would create trouble. Even if the sanctuary agreed to his conditions, his reputation might suffer. On the other hand, if Alex requested something simple and manageable, the sanctuary wouldn't be stingy. They might even publicly praise his modesty and sense of duty, subtly implying, "It's not that we didn't want to give him more, it's just that he didn't ask for anything grander."

That way, they'd neatly absolve themselves of any responsibility.

Damn, isn't this just corporate posturing and bargaining? I might not be proficient in magic or swordsmanship yet, but in this area... this is my field!

Thinking this, Alex allowed a hint of hesitation and complexity to show on his face. After a moment of contemplation, he placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly to the three.

"I am deeply grateful for the sanctuary's kindness. In truth, I merely did a small part and feel unworthy of such praise. However, there is one small request I would like to make, if it's not too much trouble…"

"Please, go ahead."

"Well…"

Alex hesitated briefly, adopting a slightly awkward expression.

"If possible, I would like to request some spirit crystals…"

"Spirit crystals?"

The three archbishops were visibly taken aback by Alex's request. They clearly hadn't expected him to ask for something like that. Alex lowered his head, a faint smile creeping onto his lips.

Perfect. I've made my demand. How much you give me now depends on your own conscience.

After all, "some" is a very ambiguous term. A pound is some, a kilogram is some, a ton is some… how much are you comfortable giving?

"This is certainly no problem."

At that moment, the round-faced bishop finally spoke. He was still smiling at Alex, though his tone carried a slightly odd undertone.

"But I'm curious, Knight Alex, what do you need spirit crystals for? Are you planning to study magic?"

Here we go.

Hearing the subtle mockery in the man's voice, Alex finally felt relieved.

Indeed, a stage without a villain to play the opposition isn't much of a performance at all...

(End of the chapter)

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