Omniscient Necromancer POV

"Wait a moment..." A little taken aback, I asked as I tried to gather my thoughts. "Are you inviting me to become a Paladin? I thought only priests of the Church could do that, and that a Paladin, therefore, had to be an active member of the Church."

Lerah Carter waved her hand in front of her face. "There aren't as many formalities as there used to be."

"I... I..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Oneal, I know how impactful an invitation like this can be. Becoming a Paladin is something that will take time, of course. You won't become a Paladin immediately if you accept my invitation," she clarified. "You'll need to join one of the Seven Schools and graduate. That doesn't mean you'll have to give up your activities as a Climber, but you'll have less time for them."

"On the other hand, the profession of Paladin would give you many benefits. When you graduate, you will receive a weekly salary of one gold coin. This salary will obviously increase as you progress through the ranks within the Order of Paladins. We also have good housing assistance and access to fencing and martial arts techniques that only exist within the Church of the Golden Halo."

"The part that may seem bad to some people is the chain of command. For example, you will need to carry out mission orders, like my mission to capture Blackpearl."

"You mean becoming a Paladin would still allow me to work as a Climber?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Yes, of course. I believe that advancing within the Tower of Babel, exploring it, and uncovering its secrets is a responsibility of all humanity," Lerah said with her fingers intertwined on the table. "However, even within the Tower of Babel, you will be on duty. This means that you will have to wear a uniform and follow the codes of conduct of the Paladins. You will also never be able to create a Guild or join one."

This immediately made me think of the agreement I had made with Rosella about creating a Guild. With her fame and the money we could possibly borrow to create the Guild, we could quickly start getting more important and rewarding missions.

On the other hand, the Paladin's salary was very tempting. One gold coin a week?! That was enough money in this world to rent a house in the most upscale neighborhood of Lovikalen for my family and live very well!

Marceline could study at a better school, maybe even attend a university in the capital.

My father could quit his exhausting job and start a business with my mother so they could finally fight for something that was theirs.

We would go from a life of survival in Bronxord to a stable and healthy life somewhere where the air didn't hurt our lungs.

"As I said, it's an impactful invitation, and you have a difficult decision on your hands. Become a Rank-B or a Paladin? I believe you need time to think about it," said Lerah Carter, arranging the papers she had placed on the table and putting them back in her drawer. "For now, I believe I have enough statements to write a sincere letter to the Church about the situation. I'll just wait for Mr. Barlow to show up before doing that. If all goes well, you and Miss Tynes will receive your letters in two days at the latest."

"Y-yes, ma'am," I said and got up from my chair, dragging it a little unintentionally.

The Paladin also stood up and extended her right hand to greet me. "As soon as you have decided, please come back here. I will be in this unit until the Sun's escort to the prison in the capital arrives, which should take approximately three days. If you do not come, I will assume that you have decided to be a Rank-B."

I shook her hand and nodded. After that, I left her room, my mind swirling with thoughts.

I had never considered, not even once, becoming a Paladin. In fact, it went directly against all the plans I had for my future in this world. I wanted to become strong, and I knew that being the leader of a Guild was the best way to achieve that.

However, Paladins were also strong, and just wearing the Paladin uniform commanded respect.

People hesitated to fight Paladins not only because of their reputation for skill, but also because they knew that the Church of the Golden Halo had an influence in the West that surpassed that of several nations. Basically, to act against a Paladin was to act against the Church.

If I encountered Hunter Ruse again, I wouldn't have to fear for my life if I were wearing the Paladin uniform.

Hunter knew that killing a Paladin always led to a path where he became a man with a price on his head.

The same applied to the many other villains in Journey to the Beyond.

But by becoming a Paladin, I would lose what I valued most: my complete freedom.

When I left the Paladin's office, Rosella Tynes was still waiting for me. She stood up with a smile from the chair where she had been waiting, but her smile disappeared as soon as she noticed my lost gaze.

"Did something happen in there?" Rosella asked.

Only then did I realize that my forehead was stiff. I immediately tried to hide it and smiled kindly at Rosella, not wanting to burden her with a decision that only I could make.

"It was nothing. It was just a little difficult to think about all the details of what happened with her pressuring me."

Rosella put a finger to her lips. "Um... It was pretty normal for me. I think she may have been harder on you because you were the one who defeated that man."

I looked at Rosella as we walked toward the exit. "You know who that man was, right?"

With her hands behind her back, she shook her head. "I have no idea. Should I?"

I massaged my temples with one hand and opened the police station door for Rosella with the other.

"I honestly still can't tell if you're very innocent or just uninformed."

Rosella smiled a little awkwardly. "I spent a good part of my teenage years in a dojo with my master, learning how to wield a sword. I barely knew how to hold a sword properly at first, so it took me a long time to graduate. With formal studies, there wasn't much time left to focus on learning other things."

"Yeah, I understand that. But I think you should try to remember the name of the person who tried to kill you," I said, leaving the police station shortly after her.

"Speaking of which, why do you think he wanted to do that?"

"Um... To be honest, I have an idea. In recent years, my father has been involved with some really bad people and shady businesses. One of them may have hired that man and his friend to send a warning to my father."

"If that's the case, you may still be in danger."

Rosella shook her head. "I think the worst is over. Whoever hired Blackdear will find out sooner or later that his plan didn't work."

"His name was actually Blackpearl."

"Oh, yes. You're right... Blackpearl. I have to remember that when I send the letter to my parents," she said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

In a way, I admired how Rosella was handling the whole situation. She had been the victim of an attempted murder and didn't seem afraid or traumatized. I envied her mental resilience, since I was being eaten away inside by the indecision of the choice I had to make.

We took a tram back to Bronxord. On my street, we stopped at Mrs. Menendez's grocery store to buy a few things for dinner that night.

My mother usually did the shopping, but she needed to stay late at work for the next few days to make up for the time off she had taken. So, Rosella and I would do the shopping.

As soon as we entered the grocery store, the bell above the door caught the attention of the woman at the cash register.

"Hello, Brandon! Long time no see!" said the gray-haired woman with a thin face.

"Good morning, Mrs. Menendez. How have you been?"

"Very well, thank God. What are you looking for today?" she asked, looked over my shoulder when she heard another jingle from the bell, but quickly turned her attention back to me.

"I'd like a pound of ground beef and three baguettes, please. Also, do you have any fresh cabbage?"

"Yes, I do. It's right over there on the right. You can choose while I go get the ground beef for you."

I smiled at her. "Okay, thank you."

Then I turned around and was about to head toward the cabbages when I realized Rosella wasn't beside me. I frowned and looked around the rest of the grocery store. That's when I saw that she was actually being approached by two men—a bald man covered in piercings and another younger man with a tattoo on the side of his head.

"Oh, shit... The Arrows," I muttered.

The Arrows was the name given to the members of a gang famous for extortion, loan sharking, and other minor crimes in Bronxord. Everyone had a history of minor conflicts with them. When I saw one of them grab Rosella's wrist and lean toward her, I realized it was my turn.