The supreme captain's office was on the third floor.
Reyn followed Pollock into a spacious but modestly furnished room. Besides a few sets of unpolished wooden furniture, tall bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books, making the office resemble a small library.
Behind a large desk sat a man of indeterminate age. He had a strong-willed face, short-cropped gray hair, and wore white heavy plate armor. Even seated, he gave the impression of a very strong man—the armor weighed no less than three hundred pounds. Yet his gaze was deep, his demeanor carried a certain intellectuality, and by appearance, he resembled a scholar more. He held a book in his hands, and stacks of books piled on the desk, as if he were engaged in scholarly research.
On the way, Reyn had learned from Pollock that the supreme captain of the Demon Extermination Squad was named Davenlak and was a high-rank Steel Knight. Steel Knight was an advanced class of Iron Guard, possessing steel will and body, as well as incredible defense.
Besides Davenlak, others were in the office, all superhumans, apparently Squad members too. Several pairs of eyes turned to the door as Reyn and Pollock entered.
Seeing Reyn, Davenlak noticeably perked up. A welcoming smile appeared on his face.
"Pollock, is this young man Reyn?" he asked.
"Yes, Supreme Captain," Pollock replied. Then he introduced Reyn to those present: "Reyn, this is our supreme captain, Lord Davenlak." He pointed to a handsome young man next to Davenlak. "This is the captain of the second squad, Dris, and this is the captain of the fourth squad, Beverly."
Beverly was a middle-aged woman with an ordinary appearance but a calm and gentle expression. She wore a robe, clearly marking her as a caster.
"Supreme Captain, Captain Dris, Captain Beverly."
Reyn greeted the Squad leaders in turn, while discreetly examining them with his Eye of the Soul.
Without doubt, Davenlak was the strongest present—a ninth-level Steel Knight. His soul had seven Elements, all Body type, aimed at enhancing physical power, boosting defense, or accelerating stamina recovery. He was just one step from legendary level. Such a combination of Body Elements made Davenlak like an impregnable living citadel, unapproachable by enemies.
Dris was a fourth-level Fire Magic Swordsman, and Beverly a fifth-level Elementalist.
By the color of their souls, Reyn gauged their attitudes toward him. Davenlak was in a good mood and showed some interest in him. Beverly remained calm, without sympathy or antipathy. But Dris... Reyn noticed that upon seeing him, Dris's soul sharply turned dark blue with red veins, meaning disgust and malice.
"Damn, this guy's hostile toward me."
Reyn tensed inwardly, not understanding what he had done to offend this Squad captain.
Davenlak stood up. His tall figure almost completely blocked the window behind him. As he walked, the floorboards creaked under his feet, and the heavy plate armor clanged, like a mobile fortress moving.
He approached Reyn and examined him curiously, especially scrutinizing his skin, as if discovering something incredible.
"Reyn, are you an Iron Guard?" Davenlak asked.
Pollock had mentioned this in his previous report. He had been amazed by Reyn's incredible strength but hadn't gone into details or asked officially then. He knew Reyn had become a superhuman very recently, and judging by the changes in his physique, he was definitely an Iron Guard.
Reyn hesitated, about to deny it.
But then Dris, full of youthful bravado, smirked:
"Supreme Captain, you're wrong this time. Reyn is a mage."
"A mage?"
Davenlak and Pollock froze in astonishment. Even Beverly, seemingly indifferent, was extremely surprised. She hadn't expected this sturdy young man to be a mage like herself.
Pollock asked incredulously:
"Reyn, you're a mage?"
"Yes, I'm a Battle Mage."
Reyn answered honestly, glancing at Dris. This captain, clearly from a noble family, by naming his superhuman class, definitely meant harm. Dris must have seen him before and known he was a mage. There could be only one reason.
Reyn, with his excellent memory, recalled seeing Dris at the auction in the Violet House, though Viola hadn't introduced them. At the time, many had eyed him askance, and Dris was one of them.
"So that's it, a rival."
Reyn understood instantly. No wonder Dris had been hostile from the start. And this seemed just the beginning—he'd surely scheme more later.
Hearing Reyn's words, Pollock blinked in confusion. Iron Guard and mage—the difference was colossal!
Davenlak, on the other hand, laughed:
"I was wondering what was off about you, young man. You look like an Iron Guard, sturdy body, but you give off a caster vibe. Turns out you're a Battle Mage."
"Battle Mages are a rare class," he said admiringly. "In our Longsand, there aren't enough to count on fingers. Getting the World Tree Seed was great luck."
"Supreme Captain, you're extraordinarily erudite," Reyn inserted a compliment in time.
An ordinary person might not have heard of Battle Mages. Even among mages, few knew the Battle School well. Yet this Steel Knight knew about the World Tree Seed—his reading hadn't been in vain; his knowledge was vast.
"No need to flatter me."
Davenlak clapped Reyn on the shoulder but then shook his head with some disappointment:
"Pity. If you were an Iron Guard, I could give you some advice. But since you're a mage, I have nothing to say."
He returned to his desk, and the color of his soul turned white again—clearly, his previous enthusiasm had faded.
Dris standing nearby smirked faintly, not hiding his satisfaction.
Reyn immediately understood why Dris had revealed his class. Davenlak, being a Steel Knight from Iron Guards, favored other Iron Guards. If Reyn had passed as one, he could have gotten close to Davenlak. But since he wasn't, relations would be purely official.
"Beverly," Davenlak said, "conduct Reyn's faith check. If all's well, let him join Pollock's squad; it'll fill the vacancy."
Before Beverly could respond, Dris interjected:
"Supreme Captain, isn't this too hasty?"
"Our Demon Extermination Squad doesn't take just anyone. A candidate must have certain strength and pass our trial," he said, giving Reyn a haughty look.
"Captain Dris, what do you mean?"
Pollock flared up immediately.
"I've already reported to the supreme captain," he gritted out. "Last night in battle, Reyn took out at least two vampires and over a dozen blood servants. With that strength, no extra trials are needed."
Dris snorted disdainfully:
"You didn't see it yourself. Besides, I heard Reyn acted with a legendary Demon Hunter. Whether he contributed is known only to that legendary lord."
"If you can get that legendary Demon Hunter to come to the Bureau and testify, I won't say another word."
Dris crossed his arms, seeming absolutely confident.
Pollock took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. Over such a trifle, Master Roger certainly wouldn't come to the Bureau. He didn't understand why Dris, with whom he'd had no prior conflicts, was opposing him today.
"Supreme Captain?" Pollock looked to Davenlak, hoping for a decision.
Davenlak pondered for a few seconds and finally nodded:
"Dris is right. We can't break the rules."
"Supreme Captain..." Pollock began to object hastily.
"Enough, Pollock," Davenlak said sternly from his desk. "You know our Squad's duties well. If we accept people without trials and their strength proves insufficient, they'll just die in vain."
He looked at Reyn and said coldly:
"If Reyn has sufficient strength, he'll pass the trial. If not, rejecting him protects his safety."
Pollock wanted to argue, but Davenlak silenced him with a hand gesture.
"Call Hargrove from the squad; let him fight Reyn and test him."
Before Pollock could agree to Davenlak's order, Dris interjected again:
"Supreme Captain, let me test Reyn's strength instead. I haven't dealt with Battle Mages yet; I'm a bit eager."
These words openly showed his dislike for Reyn.
Davenlak looked doubtfully from Reyn to Dris, irritation in his voice:
"Dris, know your limits."
Dris was a mid-rank Magic Swordsman, while Reyn had become a superhuman recently. The power gap was huge. In a fight, Reyn would have it rough: he might not be killed outright, but serious injury and humiliation were inevitable.
Pollock could no longer contain his anger. He placed a hand on the hilt of his spiritual weapon and glared furiously at Dris.
Dris spread his hands with an innocent look:
"Supreme Captain, I have no ill intentions. I just want to spar with a rare Battle Mage, have some fun."
He turned to Reyn, stepped closer, and when others couldn't see, looked at him with challenge and contempt, but smiled:
"Reyn, you won't back down, right? Don't worry, I'll be careful and won't hurt you."
"Reyn, don't fall for the provocation!" Pollock shouted loudly. "Dris, if you have issues, come to me!"
Reyn's face remained calm. In fact, noticing Dris's hostility, he had considered leaving. Clearly, Dris held a high position in the Squad, at least above Pollock's, and Supreme Captain Davenlak valued him too. If Reyn joined, Dris would scheme against him, maybe even stab him in the back. He only needed the Squad's cover, not a career in it. With Dris, problems were inevitable.
Reyn was about to refuse, but hearing Dris's offer, he changed his mind. A fourth-level Magic Swordsman was strong, but unlike the Gale Wind Magic Swordsman, he lacked a huge speed advantage. His strength was just superior sword technique, so there was a chance.
Reyn had already studied Dris's soul Elements with his Eye of the Soul and smirked inwardly.
"In that case, Captain Dris, please give me some lessons," he said calmly.