Mercenary
Mercenary · New Camp
"(long sigh) What's your deal? Seriously? Does it have to do with what they're saying about you lately? That you're working for Xardas now?"
Mercenary guards one of the New Camp's controlled approaches and treats the work as a matter of keeping unwanted people away from the camp's valuable ore. He is impatient with repeated questions, but his answers explain the difference between New Camp access and the more rigid hierarchy of the Old Camp.
He is not an independent decision-maker. Mercenary checks whether the Water Mages or Lee have invited the visitor, then acts on that permission without pretending that the gate belongs to him.
No one passes without a reason
Mercenary refuses to let the Hero approach the ore pile without proper approval. A claim that the Water Mages are expecting him can be enough, while a stranger with no explanation is told to leave before the argument becomes violent.
The repeated checks give the New Camp a clear sense of controlled space. Its people may distrust the Old Camp's methods, but they still protect their resources by deciding who is allowed near them.
Lee's camp, not Gomez's
Mercenary names Lee as the camp's boss and contrasts him with Gomez. In his view, Lee does not need an army of goons to hide behind because he can handle himself; the mercenaries are there to support that authority, not replace it.
That explanation gives Mercenary a useful political role. He is a guard, but he is also one of the voices that defines New Camp as a place where loyalty to Lee and the Water Mages carries more weight than the Old Camp's inherited rank.
Reputation arrives first
By the time the Hero returns with a new reputation, Mercenary has already heard about him. He recognizes the rumors about Xardas and adjusts his response accordingly, treating the Hero as someone whose movements now matter to more than one camp.
The change is small but revealing. Mercenary is not eager to make friends, yet he pays attention to the network of names and permissions that keeps the New Camp secure.