The First Commission
The conversation with Belka proceeded smoothly, and I secured her commission that very same day. Time flowed on until the sun vanished and thick darkness settled over the Academy. I slipped quietly out of the dormitory.
Even at night, the Academy’s security was tight. As the residence of the empire’s most esteemed individuals, a considerable number of guards remained on duty at all times. Under normal circumstances, leaving the Academy after dark would have been no easy feat.
Yet I exited without difficulty, thanks to the secret passage Belka had revealed to me. The Academy grounds were vast, and even the empire could not maintain a constant magical barrier over the entire area. As a result, several hidden passages existed—routes unknown even to the Academy itself. Using them made slipping in and out undetected a simple matter, though reaching critical facilities was another story entirely.
The passage Belka had shared was one such route. In truth, I already knew of it, and several others besides, but I gave nothing away and used the one she had provided to reach the designated meeting point.
A group of roughly a dozen people stood waiting. They appeared to be Belka’s subordinates or hired hands.
“You the new guy?”
“Hmm… doesn’t feel right.”
I had pulled my hood up to conceal my student uniform, but their reactions were far from welcoming. I paid it no mind. I was accustomed to such attitudes from my days as a mercenary, and more importantly, I knew their opinions held no weight.
I ignored them completely. Whether they had received instructions from Belka or simply sensed something, none of them picked a fight. Once everyone had gathered, we moved toward our destination—and the fighting began.
Our opponents belonged to a rival organization. At first, the battle was evenly matched. If anything, our side held a slight advantage; though fewer in number, our overall quality was higher. That changed when a single giant emerged from their ranks.
“You bastards are all dead tonight.”
The man stood well over 190 centimeters, a mountain of muscle with a face as savage as his build. His skill was considerable. Raw strength and mana fused together in his fists; every swing sent one of our men flying. Several of us charged him at once, yet none could bring him down. Instead, those who attacked were hurled aside like rag dolls. He rampaged through our ranks like a wolf among sheep.
“This… isn’t working.”
“We should retreat…”
Our allies faltered, convinced victory was impossible. That was when I stepped forward.
“Huh? Who’s this?”
The giant frowned at the sight of me.
“What were they thinking, sending a weakling like this?”
My face remained hidden beneath the hood, and my frame gave no impression of strength. Though taller than average, I looked anything but solid. The giant glanced me over, then swung his arm with casual disdain—an attack that could have shattered thick timber.
I ducked beneath it and closed the distance in a single step, accelerating with mana. Before he could react, my right fist slammed into his body.
BOOM!
The impact echoed far louder than any ordinary punch should have. The giant was launched backward and crashed into a wall.
“……”
The battlefield, moments ago filled with noise, fell deathly silent.
“What are you doing? Going to stand there all night?”
I broke the silence, addressing our stunned allies. They snapped out of their daze and surged forward. From that point on, the fight became one-sided. With the giant removed, our superior quality and their shattered morale decided the outcome.
Thus, I completed my first commission—without a single scratch.
***
Several days passed. I handled Belka’s commissions daily, most of them requiring force. The difficulty gradually increased, yet none proved particularly challenging. That was only natural. Street thugs posed no real threat to me, and I had yet to face any true experts.
After completing several jobs without issue, Belka suddenly asked, “You were hiding your strength?”
“Hm?”
I offered no reply, but she continued on her own.
“Come to think of it, I heard you beat Victor Dilot senseless not long ago. At the time, I assumed there had been some misunderstanding or that he had uncovered some weakness of yours… but apparently that wasn’t the case.”
Her characteristically dark eyes fixed on me.
“Your recent behavior is completely different from the old Kyle Berwen. It’s as if you’ve become someone else entirely.”
Well, that’s because I am someone else. The words nearly slipped out, but I swallowed them.
“Is this your true self? You were hiding your power all along? Then why reveal it now? Did the disownment trigger it?”
Faced with her barrage of speculation, I had only one response.
“Does it matter?”
Of course I had no intention of admitting I wasn’t Kyle. She wouldn’t believe me anyway, and even if she did, it would only create problems. Revealing the truth offered no benefit—only risk. So there was no need to say anything.
“……”
Belka stared at me for a long moment before finally conceding. “…No. It doesn’t matter.”
She understood as well as I did that such things held no importance between us.
“There won’t be any commissions for a while. I have several matters to settle after the recent incidents.”
I nodded at her words. Belka fell silent, signaling the conversation was over. Normally I would have left without another word, but not tonight. I had business with her.
In truth, my reason for seeking her out went beyond money—though money was certainly part of it. I needed funds, and Belka’s jobs were the fastest way to earn them. Still, if money were my only concern, other options existed. Contacting Belka carried considerable risk. Had I failed to convince her, she might have chosen to eliminate me despite the danger, and everything would have unraveled.
Yet I had chosen to meet her anyway, for reasons beyond coin. Belka’s family, Dustveil, ruled the empire’s underworld and commanded power befitting that position. In a world where schemes and betrayals shifted the balance of power overnight, what mattered most? Information. Dustveil understood this well and invested heavily in gathering and controlling it. As a result, they had become one of the most formidable intelligence organizations on the continent—perhaps rivaling even the empire’s special forces, and surpassing them in certain fields.
That was my true objective: to obtain information through Dustveil’s network. I couldn’t request everything I needed at once, however. Their services were as expensive as they were effective, and our relationship was still that of mere business partners. They wouldn’t extend unlimited credit.
So I would ask for the single most important piece of information—the one I had already decided upon long ago.
Meeting Belka’s gaze, I spoke. “I’d like to find someone.”
***
After that, a period of relative peace followed. My physical condition improved slightly with time, and my finances gradually stabilized thanks to Belka’s commissions. On the surface, things were progressing smoothly. Yet my mind remained uneasy. The improvements were superficial; nothing fundamental had changed. My body was still in poor shape, and my financial situation remained far from secure. In short, only minor progress had been made. Mountains of problems still demanded my attention.
Moreover, something else had begun to weigh on me recently.
It feels like it’s gotten worse.
The way people looked at me had grown even more hostile than before. I couldn’t dismiss it as mere imagination—there were too many visible signs and overheard remarks. My senses were sharp enough to recognize the difference, which meant it was likely real.
I’ve been keeping a low profile, too.
Since inhabiting this body, I had lived quietly—unlike the old Kyle, who had caused incidents daily. Yet my reputation had somehow deteriorated further.
Is it because of that?
I had a suspicion. The recent sparring match with Victor. Though the reality differed, to outside observers it must have looked as though I had beaten him unconscious without mercy.
…Well, it doesn’t matter.
Whether my reputation worsened or not was irrelevant for now. It had already hit rock bottom, and more pressing matters demanded my focus.
It’s almost time…
The main story of Elion was about to begin.