"Michio Kaga."
The door opened, and a strict female voice called out. "This is the second time just this week that you've come here to redeem bandit bounties."
Blonde hair tied back in a neat ponytail, a sharp yet beautiful face, and a body honed by training beneath her fitted knight's attire—I recognized her immediately.
[Radia Maxi Nantes Gozzeru
Level 27 Knight
Equipment: Sacrificial Misanga, Magical Armour, Boots of Acceleration]
Radia was wearing the same gear and uniform I had seen her in before, but her expression and attitude were completely different from when we had last met in the labyrinth.
"People will start thinking bandit extermination is the Adventurer Guild's job instead of ours—that the Vale Order of Knights is incompetent." She strode up to my table, voice sharp. "And let me remind you, this isn't your home where you can stroll in whenever you please, especially this late at night. This is the headquarters of the Vale Order of Knights."
She looked irritated, her tone biting. Was it just because she had been woken up in the middle of the night… or something else?
"I apologize, Miss Radia, for disturbing your rest," I said, standing and keeping my voice polite. "If it hadn't been necessary, I wouldn't have come at this hour."
"Then tell me," she pressed, eyes narrowing, "what was so necessary that you had to barge in here tonight?"
Had Azur not told her already why I came? Regardless, I quickly gave her a concise version of what had happened.
"So you're telling me," Radia said, her expression unreadable, "that you really wiped out an entire bandit group… just because they had occupied the village of the slave you bought today?"
"Yes. I had to rescue her villagers before something worse happened," I said with a nod.
BAM!
"And you expect me to believe that nonsense?" Radia snapped, slamming her hand on the table. Her blue eyes burned in the lantern light. "Cut the act. Who sent you here?"
Her sudden fury caught me off guard. That question—out of nowhere—made no sense.
"What do you mean, who sent me? Nobody 'sent' me. I came here because I know you and Azur, hoping you would help protect the village." My brows furrowed in confusion.
"Don't play dumb." Her voice rose, sharp with suspicion. "In one week, you've somehow foiled two major bandit raids in two different villages, cutting them all down with ease. You throw around money like water. And I saw you clearing the first floor of a new labyrinth. You expect me to believe that's all coincidence?" She leaned closer, agitation clear in every word. "Tell me the truth—who sent you here? What's your goal in undermining the Vale Order of Knights?"
"I didn't come here to be interrogated like a criminal," I replied, standing with a calm expression. "I'll assume your anger is just from being woken up at this hour. So, if you'd kindly return those Bandit Intelligence Cards, I'll take my leave, Miss Radia."
"You—!" She faltered, stumped by my composed tone. "You're just dodging my questions."
"I've already told you the truth about each incident. If you refuse to accept it, that's on you, not me," I said flatly, irritation seeping into my voice.
"You're so rude," she muttered, glaring at me in frustration.
"I think only one of us has been rude so far," I answered evenly, meeting her gaze without flinching.
For a tense moment, we locked eyes—until Radia exhaled and finally looked away.
"Did you really take down that bandit group… just because of your slave?" she asked at last, her voice quieter, stripped of the earlier bite.
"Yeah, they had tried to harm my people and even made her upset, so they paid the price," I said simply.
"Your people, I see…" she muttered. "And why didn't you come to us in the first place?" she asked, her eyes narrowing on me.
"There was that ominous threat from the Slave Merchant, and I was confident my party could handle a simple group of bandits easily," I replied with confidence.
"A simple group of bandits, huh?" she gave a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Do you even know who you killed? Those were the infamous Bandit Brothers. They're clever—never staying in one place for long, always moving from one city to another and striking at villages nearby. That makes them nearly impossible to track down and stop."
"I… didn't know they were infamous," I muttered, secretly hoping the bounty would match their reputation.
"Yeah, and they were no pushovers either. I've had a headache ever since hearing they were spotted near Vale. But you… you already took care of them, just like that," she said with a sigh, rubbing her temples.
"Well, they didn't seem all that strong to me," I admitted, remembering how quickly the two had fallen.
"That only shows how strong you and your party really are," she said with a wry smile.
"That we are," I answered with forced confidence, though I knew the system was the true source of our strength. "So… does that mean you believe me now? Will you help protect the village?" I asked hopefully.
"That isn't such a simple matter," she said, regaining her composure. "The Vale Order of Knights is sworn to protect Vale City—keeping its walls, its people, and the trade routes leading here secure. But protecting villages, especially ones so far away from the city… that isn't part of our duty."
"That is quite cold of you," I said with a wry smile.
"You have to understand, Michio," Radia replied firmly, "the Order is stretched thin as it is because of this new labyrinth. We have to declare the first floor fully explored and mapped as quickly as possible—that takes the highest priority."
"I understand your position," I said with a sigh.
I should have realized sooner that this wouldn't be so simple. I was thinking of them like the police back in my world, but there are various key differences.
Now that I think about it, we had even encountered a slime on the way to Vale City—so the Knight Order really didn't seem to have enough members to patrol even the roads leading to the city. Protecting a remote village, far outside the city's borders, should not be possible for them.
"But…" Radia said quietly, her eyes meeting mine, "it is not entirely impossible to keep an eye on that village for a few days."
"Oh? If it's money you need, I'm willing to discuss a price," I said quickly. If it wasn't too costly, I wouldn't mind spending some.
"I don't need your money," she said, dismissing the offer with a wave of her hand.
"Oh? Then what do you need?" I asked curiously.
She hesitated, her gaze sharpening as if weighing me. Finally, she spoke.
"How much do you know about my Gozzeru family?" she asked, sitting down.
"I told you, I'm not from these parts, so not much, honestly," I said, taking a seat as well.
"My Gozzeru family has been famous for generations for producing members of the Royal Knights," she said with pride. "But even such a prestigious lineage can fall into decline—especially when it fails to produce a single Royal Knight for two successive generations." Her words trailed off with a faint sigh.
I remembered Azur mentioning that her dream was to become a Royal Knight. Maybe it was another job route for the Knight class, or perhaps simply a position with more authority.
"Do you mean your father's and grandfather's generation?" I asked gently.
"Yes. They were soft and weak, drowning in the pleasures of money until they forgot their roots," she muttered with disgust. "From a young age, I swore I would not be like them. I will become a Royal Knight and bring glory to House Gozzeru once again." Her fist tightened as she spoke.
"So you and Azur both share the same dream—becoming Royal Knights for your family," I said in understanding.
"Yes. Although that kid isn't particularly talented, she is at least hardworking," Radia nodded. "Now, the reason I'm telling you all this is because to even be considered for the Royal Knights, you must first be a famous Knight." Her tone grew serious.
"By famous, you mean…?" I asked, already sensing what she was getting at.
"Yes. Taking care of bandits, maintaining order in the city, keeping good relations with its people, helping the city prosper. Handling the labyrinth—or better yet, conquering it completely. These are just some of the ways a Knight can make a name for themselves." She counted them out on her fingers.
I nodded. That did sound like the duties expected of a Knight.
"In my case," she continued, "even though my family sent me to such a rural town with barely any support, I planned to make the best of it. I even began eradicating the bandits one by one." Her eyes gleamed with a trace of viciousness.
Does she have problems with her family? Well, considering she just cursed her father and grandfather, their relationship can't be great.
"However, my plans were all derailed by the sudden arrival of the Labyrinth," she said with a sigh. "With the Knight Order's limited manpower, I could only focus on the labyrinth. That gave the bandits and thieves in the city a chance to thrive. In fact, they became even more active—because a Labyrinth brings profit, everyone started fighting for control of the city."
"The bandits were infighting," I said, nodding—I knew more of the details thanks to the original story.
"I planned to let them bleed each other out, finish mapping the first floor quickly, then sweep in and crush whatever was left," she said, clenching her fist.
"Sounds like a clever plan" I said amazed. There seems to be so many things happening in the background, which I knew nothing about.
"Yes, but you and your party already took out the most famous Bandit Brothers on your own, cutting the fame I could have earned by more than half." Her irritation was plain.
My eyes widened as it all clicked—her foul mood the last time I dealt with bandits had only deepened now, since I had taken another bite of the pie she had been saving for herself.
"I won't apologise for stopping them," I said bluntly. "There was no way I could let those bastards keep hurting people. It's unlucky for them that they got tangled with me."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm not blaming you entirely… but it did wreck my plans."
"I'm sure there are still plenty of bandits left in the city, and with the new Labyrinth, more infamous ones will be drawn here soon," I said, trying to reassure her.
"Hmph, I know. But time isn't on my side," she replied firmly. "The Imperial Capital is in turmoil right now. This is the best and easiest chance to gain fame and be considered for the Royal Knights. I doubt such an opportunity will come again." Her eyes shone with excitement.
Was she talking about the Royal Succession contest? Or the poison scandal? Or maybe both? Did Azur get her information straight from her cousin too then? That last one seemed quite likely.
"I've heard bits and pieces," I nodded, recalling that the only reason I knew about it at all was thanks to her and Azur.
"Good. That makes things easier." She straightened, her tone sharpening. "Here's my proposal: I'll keep watch over that small village and provide protection. But in return, I'll publicly announce that your party destroyed the bandits under my Radia Maxi Nantes Gozzeru's command." Her blue eyes locked onto mine.
"I see," I muttered, studying her in a new light.
This was exactly why I wanted to avoid dealing with nobles too early—they would seize any chance to use you. In the original story, Michio got tangled with an Elven Duke and was exploited constantly. Though to be fair, those "exploits" always ended up being highly profitable for him. Still, personally, I would hate the feeling of being someone's hidden pawn.
At least Radia was straightforward. She laid her cards on the table instead of scheming behind my back. She might be nobility, but she was also a Knight. That made her easier to deal with.
"And of course, I'll hand over all the bounty money to you—that is what you deserve after all. And this way, you'll also be safe from any retaliation. No bandit group will dare to touch you once they know you're under my banner," Radia said with confidence, a small grin tugging at her lips.
It wasn't a bad deal, per se… but I had my own ideas.
"Instead of that, why not announce that Michio Kaga, a friend of yours, took care of the bandits at your request?" I suggested with a calm smile.
"A… friend?" she repeated, her blue eyes widening.
"Yes, a friend," I said firmly, reaching forward to clasp her gloved hands in mine. "In fact, I wouldn't mind helping a beautiful friend like you in achieving her dream of becoming a Royal Knight." My voice softened as I gazed steadily into her eyes.
Her expression wavered ever so slightly, and I could tell she understood my message. I wasn't asking to be her subordinate—I was offering something more: equality and partnership.
Of course, I knew very well we weren't equals yet. She was a noble knight with an entire order at her back, while in her eyes I was just an Adventurer, a Fee Man, with quite some wealth to my name.
But she didn't know the truth. Partnership with me would give her unimaginable advantages… because I wasn't just anyone—I was a man with multiple Systems!
Naturally, I wouldn't tell her that. This was simply me extending a hand. If she refused, I would lose nothing. And even after that if she behaved, perhaps I would give her this chance again someday.
Just as Radia parted her lips to answer, the door to the room creaked open once more.
***
My Second Try at Superman: Reborn as Superman
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