Gerd
Gerd.
A man once called Iron Wall Gerd.
Now he barely eked out a living as a low-ranking mercenary.
He could only stand there with his whole body ramrod straight.
That was the only thing he could do.
After all.
“No way. Listen, okay?”
Pink hair brushed past him.
A scent of sweetness mixed with smoke stung his nose.
You went hunting again, huh.
Even as Gerd thought that, the woman was chattering away with an excited face right in front of him.
“She turned me down. That Crown princess? No, what was it? Ah! She told me to get lost!”
“I-I see.”
“So! Isn’t that shocking?”
Her sparkling eyes met his gaze.
Like a flower in full bloom, they stared at him.
Ayla Seed.
Deputy guild leader of the mercenary guild, and in reality, just like the guild leader herself.
According to rumors, her parents—the guild leader—were losing their minds right now.
“Aiden Starfive!”
Snapping out of his thoughts, she flashed a bright smile.
“I looked for you!”
“Ah, yes. Yeah.”
Gerd straightened up again.
Ayla was not a bad person. In fact, she was a good person.
She trusted people easily and treated everyone kindly. With one exception.
But that wasn’t all. Her skill was outstanding too.
The rumor that she caught a bear with her bare hands at ten years old was widespread.
Thanks to that, she was popular even in the mercenary guild.
The only problem was that she was like that.
“And I heard something. Mom said Gerd-nim once guarded me!”
Too much curiosity. And not being able to filter her words.
Cold sweat trickled down Gerd’s back.
If his daughter were still alive, she wouldn’t be this old.
As someone who was once a father and as someone who had joined the mercenary band, he decided to advise.
“D-Deputy Guild Leader.”
“Hm?”
“He’s dangerous.”
Hoping his words would reach her, he began explaining about Aiden Starfive in a trembling voice.
“He has a demonic appearance and emits the aura of a serial killer itself, Deputy Guild Leader.”
“Oh.”
“His red eyes hold no emotions, and his words are either rude or dismissive of others, but I can’t say more than that.”
“I see!”
Gerd was explaining the dangers he possessed with spit almost drying in his mouth.
After finishing with everything from swordsmanship to appearance, he looked at Ayla.
Did she understand what I said?
Gerd raised his gaze slightly and watched her reaction.
“...”
Seeing Ayla’s sparkling eyes, Gerd squeezed his eyes shut.
It’s over.
“...”
Principal Gildar stared quietly at the report placed in front of him.
A great disaster.
That was the only way to express it.
Inside the academy, a Variant covered not just the academy but the entire academy.
A Variant that wasn’t even just a Variant.
Even if countless people died, it wouldn’t be strange.
That should have been the case.
“...Aiden Starfive.”
Again this student.
The student who stood out from the very first practical training.
Even then, I thought he was an extraordinary person.
“...”
He rescued the captured students, and after that, he hunted down the Variant while bringing along the Holy Maiden candidate and the princess of the fallen kingdom.
No victims at all. A miracle.
Even if I brought in experienced personnel, it would be hard to achieve this kind of result.
He quietly stared at the paper, closed his eyes.
If someone had died here, what would have happened?
Just the thought was terrifying.
The academy would have lost trust right there.
More intense questioning would have come from above.
But what was even more terrifying was.
“...It’s over.”
Currently, Genua Academy is the only place where people with stigmas are gathered and taught.
No matter what the intention was, gathering the stigma holders in one place and having them build camaraderie was the only way for the academy, and in turn for the continent, to survive.
What if a Variant broke out in such a place, and the students died, or in the worst case, they even turned into Variants?
The Genua Academy would definitely suffer damage big enough to consider shutting down, even if it didn’t go bankrupt.
“Did you say there was something you needed?”
“U, that...”
Up until then, Albert had been quietly listening as Gildar spoke and was now rolling his eyes back and forth.
“No, I didn’t hear anything special.”
“...”
Normally this much would mean he wanted something.
“Ah, one. I requested one.”
“What?”
According to hearsay, Aiden Starfive is incredibly arrogant.
His actions are like those of a tyrant, and anyone who has actually spoken with him says they were either terrified or that he’s not someone you can reason with.
Perhaps he might make an outrageous demand.
Then, as the principal, how should I respond?
Say no? Otherwise...
While Gildar was pondering what he could give, Albert spoke up.
“...He requested the remaining black stone after capturing the Variant.”
“...You said he requested that?”
“...Yes.”
Gildar’s face turned serious upon hearing Albert’s words.
“...Have you already said no?”
“He said he’d pay for it himself.”
“Who?”
“...The shopkeeper.”
Gildar squeezed his eyes shut.
The shopkeeper.
“...He might be a person who knows more than I thought.”
“...I’ve never heard that the Starfive family has ever stepped into the central authority or the imperial side.”
“So be more careful. If even we don’t know about it...”
“...Is he really operating from behind the scenes while hiding it from everyone?”
A single group came to mind in the heads of Albert and Gildar.
The Imperial Direct Surveillance Unit.
Originally, they were spies for checking and gathering information from other nations, but now they were all over the place trying to catch the dangers inside the continent.
Gildar nodded in response to Albert’s question.
“Just give it to him. At least since he requested that stone, it means he knows a lot about things hidden away.”
“...Understood. But then we’ll inevitably meet him...”
“That is also something he planned himself.”
With a calm voice, Gildar spoke.
“Going to the shopkeeper and offering the stone means he’s willing to pay that much.”
“...That’s right.”
The two of them’s bones shivered at the thought of the shopkeeper.
“Isn’t it just that he came to pick up the stone to trade it for items?”
“...”
“I’ll have to be careful.”
Gildar muttered.
Aiden Starfive.
“Hide his identity as much as possible. That’s the only consideration we can give him.”
“Ah, understood.”
Albert nodded hurriedly and left the room.
“...”
Creak, the door closed, and Gildar slumped down in his chair.
No matter how I thought about it, I shouldn’t have accepted being the principal this time.
“Why did I go mad and cause trouble in my later years... I should have just retired and lived peacefully...”
His sigh echoed throughout the principal’s office.
He looked at the stone in his hand.
What on earth should I trade this for to make it known as a good swap?
Of course, there aren’t many items that can be traded for just one stone.
At best, one high-grade potion and the opening bonus for the shopkeeper.
Of course, now his body had perfectly recovered after the incident ended.
As long as I don’t keep using the Cursed Swordsmanship, it’s not that bad.
But the important thing wasn’t that.
The key was that he could meet the shopkeeper.
In the Dark Fantasy Saga community, the shopkeeper loved by everyone.
An extremely friendly character to the protagonist in a world going mad.
Even when the world collapses and everyone dies, the shopkeeper remains and keeps selling items.
Well, in every game, the shopkeeper doesn’t disappear just because the world is collapsing.
Moreover, she’s beautiful. I really liked her.
“Khh...kh...”
The laughter wouldn’t stop.
The student walking beside him turned pale white upon hearing my laughter, but these reactions were now familiar.
If it’s going to be like this, shouldn’t I at least show respect?
If I laugh and they get scared, at least give a reward, right?
No. It wasn’t the time to think that.
More importantly, the shopkeeper.
He looked at the shop in front of him.
Now was the time to happily shop at the shopkeeper.
“Kiiik...”
He opened the door of the shop and, with a bright smile, turned his gaze forward.
Yeah. I came.
I came to see you again. Shopkeeper!
The shopkeeper appeared right in front of him.
Dark blue hair that reached down to her shoulders, an immature face.
But the aura she emitted was far too mature to be considered childish, sometimes sharp.
Yeah. It was a woman I knew very well.
Shopkeeper.
I didn’t know her name, age, or job, but all users who played Dark Fantasy Saga loved her.
I was so happy that I almost hugged her.
“...Who are you?”
If it weren’t the dagger she was extending toward me, I would have said something.
“...”
He lowered his gaze and looked down.
The shopkeeper looked at him with a face full of tension.
Strange. The shopkeeper I knew always smiled and was a kind person who sold items no matter what happened.
Could it be because of my stigma?
Anyway, he spread his arms to express that there was no harm in him.
He approached her with his arms spread wide.
I don’t know if you have any misunderstanding, but let’s put the knife down, shall we?
“You think you can kill me with that toothpick? Don’t do meaningless things.”
“...Don’t come any closer!”
He was going to lose it, seriously.