System vs Rebirth

"We have spotted the city! They seem to have reduced the demon number a lot…" Stella reported.

Rose was silent the whole time as she took a close look at the situation.

There were many cracks in the wall. However, there were still far more people that stood on top of the wall compared to the Demon Barrier Squad's Headquarters.

In addition, there were a few experts on top of the wall, taking one demon after another.

It seemed that even though the wall was a bit tattered, the Spirit Enchantment was still intact and there were still a lot of people fighting.

And judging from the number of demons around here, it seemed that they were less than the ones attacking the Headquarters. In addition, they didn't have a Superior Demon around.

Rose reported, "The city seems to be safe to enter. Should we release our signal?"

Paul glanced at Noel for a moment before making his decision. "Alright. Send the signal to let them know of our presence."

"Yes, Sir." Rose nodded. She raised her hand and formed an illusion in the air.

Suddenly, a big flag appeared in the air. The flag was white, but there was a red 'x' in the middle of it. Between each line, there was a different symbol, from a hammer to a weapon. This was the flag of the Demon Relief Squad, showing that they were the squad that could do anything.

It would be impossible for the people on the wall to not see this.

Without hesitation, they immediately cooperated with them, allowing them to enter the city. Of course, the Zero Squad also showed their strength, eliminating all the demons that stood in their way.

Without much of a problem, they managed to enter the city.

They were greeted by two soldiers who seemed to have recognized them.

"Demon Relief Squad's Zero Squad? We have received word about your arrival." One of them politely greeted them.

It seemed that Historia had sent a few birds to tell them about their arrival. This was useful since there was no misunderstanding.

Paul nodded with a serious expression. "Thank you for receiving us. We are here with a lot of medicine. It will be useful for the people, right?"

The soldier's face brightened when he heard 'medicine.' He didn't hesitate to admit it. "Yes, Sir. We really need medicine."

The other soldier suddenly raised his hand, stopping him as if he knew the other guy had become too excited. He said, "We appreciate the medicine. But I believe it's better to go to our temporary base first to talk with the Vice Captain."

"Indeed." Paul nodded. He glanced at Noel, who waved his hand. It seemed that there was no need for his presence during the meeting.

So, he said, "Rose, Ben, follow me. The rest of you can take some rest."

"In that case, please allow me to guide you to your lodge. That's the least we can do." The excited soldier raised his hand, volunteering to be their guide. Meanwhile, the other seemed to be leading Paul to their vice captain.

The group split for a moment.

Noel and the others were guided to a building three blocks away. The room was similar to the one he had in the Headquarters. It wasn't luxurious, but it was enough for everything.

Since he finally had time alone, Noel chose to solve a few problems. And it seemed that one of the problems decided to haunt him.

Without even Noel inviting him, Damian suddenly entered the room with a serious expression.

"I've come to receive my part of the deal." Damian walked inside.

Noel didn't push him away nor did he say anything to his action. After all, Damian had all the right to do it.

Noel looked at him and said, "Of course. I'm writing it down now. However, because the ambush is my plan and you haven't done much… Two runes should be enough, no?"

Damian looked down, falling into deep thought. As Noel said, compared to the grand picture, ambushing the Spirit Grandmasters and stopping those injured people weren't that much since Noel had planned everything.

So, giving two runes that hadn't been published to the world was a great deal. As expected of a person from a Merchant Family. He managed to give a reward equal to the effort, leaving no chance for negotiation.

It seemed that he had to take this deal.

"Alright then. Two runes."

"But before that…" Noel raised his hand, stopping him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends on the question…" Damian frowned, wondering what Noel wanted to know.

As soon as he gave the confirmation, Noel asked, "I have seen how you utilize your ability… However, there is something that feels a bit different… I don't know why, but it seems that your ability is like flowing in nature. I don't think your element is like that, so it seems that the way you utilize your ability is different from anyone I've seen so far."

Damian widened his eyes before contemplating. "Hmm… So, you want to know how I utilize my ability?"

"I just want to check first whether it's classified information or not." Noel narrowed his eyes, judging Damian's reaction. Depending on his actions… No, even the slight change in his expression would allow him to get the answer he wanted.

However, Damian didn't have a change of expression as if it was something normal. He said, "In that case, I don't really mind telling you about it. It's not that big of a secret anyway, but I have to remind you that it's information at Spirit Grandmaster Level. You shouldn't expect to receive it for free, no?"

Noel's eyebrows twitched. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking, 'Hmm… from the way he speaks, it seems that the information is like public knowledge. But considering this is information from a Spirit Grandmaster level, the price shouldn't be that low.'

'Besides, Damian wouldn't lie to me, at least not now. If I knew he was lying, it would just cause a lot of demerits for him. So the information will be legitimate.'

'However, should I accept this deal? Should I postpone it and ask this question to Dimitri? But Dimitri is handling a lot of matters. I could only meet him in another two months at the very least…' Noel was contemplating, calculating the pros and cons of this deal.