A Familiar Face
The prison of De Meca, which had boasted ironclad security, had been breached by someone, throwing the entire city into chaos. High-ranking officials from De Meca had gathered in front of the prison, harshly berating the soldiers for failing to protect it and insisting that such an incident would never happen again.
“Who the hell would dare reach into the prison like this?”
“Who else? It has to be them again.”
The onlookers all knew exactly who the culprit was, but none could speak the name aloud. The underworld had eyes and ears everywhere, and saying it outright could cost them their lives. That was why they referred to the organization indirectly as “them” or “those guys.”
The De Meca prison was an underground facility located near De Meca Castle, the largest building in the city, making it no easy target. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and no one had imagined the prison could be compromised.
Bagan walked past the noisy scene in front of the prison as though it had nothing to do with him. With his funds running low, he was on his way to the adventurers’ guild to earn some money.
(But why don’t the nations try to root out the underworld at a national level?)
At Sally’s question, Bagan pondered for a moment. It was something he had wondered about as well. The answer came to him quickly.
‘Some high-ranking official probably has ties to the underworld or is taking bribes.’
(A world where people kill and get killed over material possessions… How overflowing with sin it is.)
As the Spirit King of Condemnation, it was only natural that such things caught her attention first.
Leaving Sally’s musings behind, Bagan had nearly reached the stairs of the adventurers’ guild when—
“Bagan!”
A delighted voice rang out from a distance. It was a welcome voice he hadn’t heard in a very long time.
“Natalie. Looks like you’ve been on quite a long trip.”
The moment she spotted Bagan, Natalie sprinted toward him at full speed and threw herself into his arms. He hadn’t expected the embrace, so it caught him off guard, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her properly.
Natalie rubbed her cheek against his chest.
(See? She definitely likes him.)
‘Sally, Natalie only sees me as the person who saved her life.’
But Bagan simply brushed it off as a misunderstanding.
As he stroked the girl in his arms, all stray thoughts vanished from his mind. That was when Pol, the leader of Dawn’s Wolf, approached.
“Bagan, hello. Do you have some time to spare?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I was hoping we could share a meal together…”
The fact that Pol was suddenly suggesting a meal meant he clearly had some purpose in mind. There was no reason to refuse, so Bagan nodded.
“Sure, why not.”
“Wow, we get to eat with Bagan!”
Seeing their reactions, Pol smiled and began leading the way.
“Follow me. My treat.”
It seemed they would eat at the adventurers’ guild, as he headed up the stairs. Natalie remained quietly in Bagan’s arms the entire time, being stroked like a pampered princess, while Reina, who followed behind, looked visibly bothered by the situation.
“These days he doesn’t hug me at all…”
More than anything else, Reina wore a grave expression at Natalie’s reaction. She couldn’t feel any more defeated than this.
At a sturdy six-person table made of solid wood inside the adventurers’ guild, the four of them sat and talked. Naturally, Natalie sat right beside Bagan.
“So what’s the reason for arranging this meal?”
“Ah, well… Just a moment. I’ll tell you after the food arrives and we’ve eaten a little.”
This was different from his usual behavior of only expressing gratitude. Pol left the table and approached Rina. He was completing a request.
Curious about that part, Bagan turned to Natalie, who was leaning against him.
“Natalie, what kind of request were you on?”
“Hm?”
She had been leaning comfortably, but when Bagan spoke she looked up at him. She carried the scent of someone who hadn’t bathed in a while, but because she was a beastman it was simply the distinctive warm smell of a cat. It wasn’t unpleasant, so he didn’t mind.
“Ah, with all the shops in De Meca becoming active again, they’ve put out countless requests for materials. I’ve been running back and forth between the Zairan Forest and Alkali Village every single day without rest.”
Her cat ears, which had been perked up, folded halfway down to express just how exhausting it had been.
Now that the brutal winter had ended, many shops were desperately trying to recover their lost sales. This phenomenon wasn’t limited to De Meca; it was surely happening in the northwest of the Sog Kingdom and in De Marinda as well. They had all endured harsh times.
“Food is served.”
The waiter from the guild’s restaurant set the dishes on the table and left.
“Bagan, I’m sorry for making you wait so long. There were simply too many accepted requests…”
“It’s fine.”
It wasn’t a wait that required an apology, but Pol’s personality wouldn’t allow him to stay silent. Since it truly wasn’t an issue, Bagan watched Pol sit down before passing food to Natalie.
Her bright, sparkling eyes were scanning for the tastiest dish with animal-like instinct. Seeing that, he couldn’t possibly eat first. She took the spoon he offered, brought it straight to her mouth, and began chewing happily.
“Mmm, mmm. Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve had real food like this.”
Immersed in happiness, Natalie focused entirely on the meal, moving slightly away from Bagan. The sight almost made it seem like she was possessed by the food, but since it looked like she truly hadn’t eaten proper meals for a long time, he was glad.
Bagan continued eating, waiting to hear what Pol wanted to tell him. The man had been completely focused on his food and silent for a while now. The effect of all those requests must have been significant.
“So what was it you needed to say?”
“Ah, right. Actually, when I returned to De Meca, I heard from a fellow adventurer. That Flang is dead.”
Bagan’s interest was immediately piqued at the mention of Flang. He asked seriously.
“Why are you telling me this?”
The only ones who knew about his connection to Flang were Clorsus and his party. There was no way Pol could have discovered that fact.
“I’m not trying to blame you for anything. The rumors just spread that way.”
“Rumors?”
“I already knew the kind of things Flang usually did. Including what he did regarding you, Bagan.”
Pol set down his fork and looked Bagan straight in the eyes.
“This incident is connected to the underworld, isn’t it?”
He was subtly testing the waters. No—he was almost certain. Depending on how Bagan answered, what Pol could gain from this conversation would change. The problem, however, was that he had spoken a word he should never have uttered out loud. Because of it, every gaze in the vicinity turned toward their table.
Both Reina and Natalie looked at Pol in shock at the three-letter word. Thanks to Pol’s boldness, Bagan had no choice but to cast Silence. It was a type of soundproofing magic that prevented sound from escaping a designated area. He had expanded it to exactly cover the six-person table, so no one else would be able to hear their conversation.
Pol’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at Bagan, waiting for an answer. Reina and Natalie watched him with clear tension. Bagan let out a deep sigh before speaking the truth.
“Flang was a guy who mainly handled assassination requests for the underworld. I became his target because of Papan. He ambushed me, but I spared him. I told him to turn himself in…”
“But the fact that he died inside a prison as secure as an iron fortress means it really was them, after all.”
Bagan nodded. Pol’s expression shifted. He looked somewhat downcast.
“Still, why are you so interested in Flang’s death? What’s the connection?”
Now Bagan was the one who was curious. The reason Pol would take such a serious interest in Flang’s fate. Reina and Natalie seemed equally curious; they focused intently, barely able to swallow.
Pol kept his mouth firmly shut for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts. When everyone’s attention was fully on him, he finally spoke.
“Flang was a friend and comrade who crossed countless battlefields with me back when I was a mercenary.”
Bagan had sensed something along those lines. He hadn’t expected it, but Pol and Flang had been comrades. Very close ones who had walked through life and death together. Having shared such experiences, nothing could be more important. Yet in the end, Flang had joined the underworld. That was an undeniable, unchangeable fact. It couldn’t be erased.
“I see. Do you want revenge for your comrade’s death against the underworld?”
“I can’t say I don’t, but right now I simply wanted to confirm the truth.”
Even knowing the answer, he wouldn’t be able to solve the problem. He simply didn’t have the strength. Bagan was certain that even if Pol fought with everything he had, he still wouldn’t be able to defeat Drake. That was why he only gave him the exact facts.
“I’ll destroy the underworld soon. It’s not for you or Flang. It was going to happen anyway.”
Pol’s expression brightened considerably.
“If that’s the case, I’ll wait.”
It seemed that if Bagan hadn’t said anything, Pol would have tried to act on his own. He didn’t want to watch Pol die, so this was fortunate.
“Like I said, it’s not because of you. It’s for the liberation of slaves.”
“Hey! Natalie’s listening!”
Reina scolded Bagan as if the words were difficult to hear.
“Wait, let’s keep talking. So, Bagan, you believe the underworld is connected to slavery?”
Whether it was due to his strong sense of justice or purely for Natalie’s sake, Pol clearly wanted to continue the conversation. Bagan set down his spoon and stood up from his seat.
“Unfortunately, let’s continue this another time. This isn’t a story you should get involved in.”
The three of them were visibly flustered by Bagan’s sudden cutoff. It had been far too abrupt. They hadn’t even finished their meal yet.
Looking at their dazed faces, Bagan released the Silence as well.
(Why aren’t you working with them?)
Sally asked at that moment. They could clearly be of help, so why was he trying to handle such a major task alone?
It wasn’t that Bagan hadn’t considered it. But they were still far too weak.
‘They wouldn’t be able to handle it.’
As Bagan turned to leave, Natalie grabbed him.
“Bagan, are you going already?”
“Yeah. Natalie, finish your meal, rest well at the inn, and I’ll see you next time.”
Bagan quickly left the table. As he had told Sally, he didn’t want Dawn’s Wolf getting involved in dealing with the underworld. The matter would be far more brutal than they imagined.
Since Flang had been Pol’s friend, the underworld was more cunning and meticulous than expected. It might even involve having to kill comrades, friends, or family.
He walked straight to the table placed in front of the reception counter where Rina worked. As always, that guy was there.
“Hey, blond trash.”
The man didn’t immediately recognize Bagan’s voice and responded nervously to the sudden provocation.
“Huh?”
“Yeah, I’m talking to you. You’ve been doing the job I gave you properly, right?”
Clorsus barely stopped himself from bowing his head the moment he saw Bagan and responded in his usual manner.
“W-well, nothing’s happened yet. No movement at all. There aren’t just one or two guys with tattoos to begin with.”
No one knew exactly why the trend of getting tough-looking tattoos had become popular among adventurers and mercenaries, but seven out of every ten men you saw had them. Bagan wasn’t disappointed by Clorsus’s report. He hadn’t expected immediate results anyway, nor had he believed the man would handle the task perfectly.
“Move aside for a second. I’m going to pick a fight.”
Bagan had been lost in thought about the task that might take several days when Clorsus spotted a tattooed man approaching Rina. Bagan looked at him as well.
The man was dressed very neatly, with a sword at his left hip. An impressive tattoo seemed to run from the back of his neck downward. The muscles bulging beneath his clothes and his massive frame suggested he was quite skilled. Most striking of all was how his footsteps barely made any sound on the wooden floor of the adventurers’ guild.
“…There’s no need for that.”
“What?”
Clorsus, who had started to rise at Bagan’s words, stopped. He looked puzzled but decided to observe the situation.
“Rina. Have you been well? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I couldn’t visit often because of the recent expedition to De Marinda. Please process my completed request.”
“Yes, Mister Caliban.”
Judging by his extremely polite tone and Rina’s friendly attitude, he seemed to be a genuinely good-natured person.
“Neo Shark subjugation and carriage escort, correct?”
“Yes. It would have been difficult without our Dractus.”
“Of course.”
The man who had introduced his party as “Dractus.”
“Now that I look at him, that’s Caliban, leader of Dractus, the second-ranked party.”
Second place in the party rankings was practically the same as first. After all, first place was occupied by Elizabeth’s solo party. But setting all of that aside, Bagan’s impression after seeing the man named Caliban was simple.
“A familiar face.”
He couldn’t understand why it had caught his eye. He was so glad he felt like he was going crazy.