Baekseol (4)
"Rynel must be having such a tough time."
Baekseol murmured softly, watching Astra's retreating figure.
At those words, Rynel could offer no reply.
As defense captain, his most vital duty was to stand by his captain's side. But lately, the captain had been moving alone more often—and tomorrow, he was leaving entirely on his own.
'He even took Scarlet to Greenwood...'
"...I'm still lacking so much. I must not meet the captain's expectations."
Rynel's confession slipped out with a bitter smile, drawing a meaningful look from Baekseol.
"Hmm, is that right? Well... it's the fate of any subordinate stuck under an overly capable superior, isn't it?"
Baekseol gazed at him steadily, then gave his shoulder a light pat.
"Sometimes, trusting and waiting is loyalty too."
Her blue eyes seemed to pierce straight into his soul for a moment.
"Now then, shall we go see that child with the Demon Eye?"
Baekseol abruptly shifted to a bright tone.
"Yes, I'll guide you."
Rynel bowed his head.
A part of him burned to rush after Astra right then, but that would defy orders and disrespect the Bai Ling Regiment captain.
'The captain left me here for a reason.'
He resolved to stay true to his role, silently leading the way for Baekseol.
Watching Rynel's back as he walked ahead, Baekseol smiled faintly and murmured.
"He's the type of captain who takes good care of his subordinates."
Marcus could only manage an awkward laugh in response—he lacked the standing to judge Haven's captain.
Baekseol knew this and hadn't expected an answer anyway.
It was just her way of voicing her thoughts aloud.
"A new type. That kind of reaction."
She muttered to herself.
Baekseol often visited other captains' territories in disguise.
It was a form of amusement.
Stay too high up for too long, and an unbearable lethargy sets in.
A life where everyone bows, everyone fears, everyone hides their true feelings. For her, long ensconced in the captain's seat, these little escapades were an essential breather.
'I did get caught this time... but I was getting bored anyway.'
Truth be told, she'd overdone it lately, dulling the thrill—she'd planned to stop regardless.
Ending it like this wasn't bad.
What surprised her was that she'd never been unmasked before, yet Astra had seen right through her at first glance.
'The other captains never noticed.'
She'd met them multiple times in disguise, but none had suspected a thing.
It was only natural.
Her technique for perfectly concealing her mana and presence was an art form.
To others, she appeared as nothing more than a powerless commoner—perhaps even weak.
Besides, the atmosphere here differed sharply from the other territories she'd visited.
Recalling those places, she mentally sorted the other captains' styles of rule into three categories.
First: reign of terror. Absolute power to oppress and dominate the territory's people.
Second: laissez-faire. No interest in the people's lives, focused solely on personal power.
Third: iron rule. Strict discipline and law, offering minimal protection to the obedient.
All three styles boiled down to one common thread.
Fear.
The forms varied, but the essence was the same.
The loyalty from territory folk and subordinates mostly stemmed from dread.
There were those who truly respected them, of course—but they were the rare exception.
Rynel's reaction, though, was different. Not fear, but genuine concern. Eyes that worried for a superior, not cowered before one. It was a new type of subordinate for her.
'Well, too early to say. He might just be special.'
Baekseol shook her head lightly. Judging the whole by one man was premature.
But one thing was clear: Jin Gang Regiment's atmosphere stood apart from the rest.
'Interesting, Astra.'
Her blue eyes gleamed softly.
Something far more entertaining than wandering in disguise seemed to have cropped up.
'Death's aura overflows here.'
I nodded at Ascaros's words.
"Can't be helped. It's a place where death is never far off for those who live here."
As we reached the alley entrance into the slums, a boy appeared. A vaguely familiar face.
'I've definitely seen him somewhere...'
He bowed politely in greeting.
"I've been waiting, Captain. I'm Dante, vice-leader of Dust Rose."
'Ah, the kid who was with Rion back then.'
First time I'd seen him, I thought he was just big for a kid. Now, he no longer struck me as a child at all—he'd grown that much.
Kids really do grow fast...
'Astra, but the ones around—'
'I know.'
The moment we entered the alley, I'd sensed it. Dozens of gazes hidden in the shadows. And the sharp killing intent they harbored.
"Dante, is this your will alone? Or Rion's?"
My question made Dante's expression stiffen subtly.
Several children lurked in the alley's shadows, watching us with murderous intent.
I'd known from the start.
'Since learning black magic, darkness can't hide from my sight anymore.'
Black magic had expanded my vision.
Everything in the shadows appeared as clear as daylight—even the tense faces of the kids holding their breath.
Dante seemed flustered at being exposed but quickly regained his composure.
"Captain, what do you—"
"You're pretending not to know?"
I slowly scanned the surroundings, speaking coldly.
"Did you think hiding in the dark would fool me? From the moment we entered this alley, your killing intent has been stabbing at me from all sides."
A split-second silence.
Then, as if on cue, sharp metallic sounds rang out from the shadows. Blades drawn, bowstrings pulled taut, muffled breaths filling the alley.
"Is this Dust Rose's welcome?"
"You asked if it's my will or Rion's? It's mine! After you took Mari, my life became hell! Kill or be killed... And because of you, Rion's gone all wrong somewhere!"
"You're showing your lack of breeding."
"What?!"
That last shout hadn't come from Dante—it was another kid in the shadows.
"You've only lived in the well of the slums. You don't know the world yet."
I continued with a cold smile.
"Just because there are many of you, or because you've prepared thoroughly, doesn't mean you can take on any foe."
Dark mana began spreading slowly around me.
But even as I spoke, I kept track of their positions.
'Eight on the right, ten on the left. Two archers each...'
My shadow-enhanced vision revealed their weapons and stances in detail.
Trembling hands, ragged breaths, clumsy grips on unfamiliar weapons.
'Domain of the Absolute isn't much use here.'
My ace, Domain of the Absolute, wouldn't shine against weak kids.
Absorbing and redirecting them all would barely match a single knight's pressure.
'That's why I learned black magic for times like this.'
Black mana began condensing at my fingertips.
But by black magic standards, I was still novice-level. It needed prep time.
"Let me correct you first. All I remember is showing you mercy. I eliminated those who oppressed you and opened a future for Rion."
"That's why Rion's gone strange! Rion... Rion became a monster because of you—"
"A monster..."
I sneered coldly.
"Did you really not know? How dangerous Rion was back when you were all being crushed?"
My voice echoed through the alley.
"No, you did know. To survive the oppression, to save that girl Mari, you turned a blind eye as Rion slowly broke down."
Dante's face paled.
"You sensed it from our first meeting. Rion's eyes were already off."
"Shut up..."
"But you needed his madness. For the power to get Mari back."
Black mana began enveloping me.
"So you stayed silent. 'Just a bit more, hold on a bit longer...'"
The shadows pulsed like a heartbeat.
"What I did? Simple. I just leashed the monster you created."
"Shut up!!"
Dante's scream shattered the tension, and the shadows erupted.
"Die, you bastard!"
"Aim for the neck!"
"For Mari! For Dust Rose!"
Kids surged from all sides.
Rusty blades flashed, arrows flew. Hate-filled shouts filled the alley.
But I was ready.
"Shadow Bind..."
With my low incantation, black shadows exploded from my feet.
It was instantaneous.
The darkness writhed like living serpents, coiling around ankles, wrists, whole bodies.
Arrows mid-flight halted, snared by black chains; charging kids dangled in midair like flies in a web.
"Wh-what is this?!"
"I can't... move!"
Struggling was futile—the black chains dug deeper with every twist.
Even Dante knelt, bound by the chains.
Terror and rage mixed in his eyes.
I walked slowly among them, meeting the faces of the suspended kids one by one.
"Do you get it now? That you were frogs in a well."
Black mana swirled around me.
"I didn't turn Rion into a monster."
I stopped before Dante.
"Before I showed up, you should've turned this blade on Crow. Before Rion crumbled, you should've crushed those bugs trampling you."
I gazed down at Dante coldly and continued.
"But you couldn't. You were too weak."
I took another step closer.
"So you leaned on Rion. Depended on his madness. No courage to fight yourselves."
Dante's face twisted.
"That's what made Rion a monster. Your cowardice. Your weakness. I just put a leash on that monster."