A Promise Kept in Silence
"If possible, make secret contact when you find an opening. There's no need to force it. We can't predict how that monster will react, so caution is the wisest course."
His capricious nature made him impossible to predict. At least it was a small mercy that he showed interest in nothing beyond his own curiosities.
There was nothing to gain by drawing his eye for no reason. Contact with Raven would be ideal, but there was no need to risk danger to achieve it. With that final warning, Edardo turned back to the stack of documents piled before him.
In the quiet that followed, his aide and younger brother, El, hesitated before speaking.
"Why go to such lengths?"
"...Hm?"
Questioning a mission already carried out was not insubordination.
The doubts he had postponed while executing orders now poured forth now that he finally had room to breathe.
"Simply locating him and passing on information would have let you build favorable relationships with the association heads. Handing him over outright would have been even better."
"......"
"Ah, of course I know. You said he might be your benefactor. But if he truly is a 'benefactor,' wouldn't Aurell's silence alone have been sufficient help? Why go so far as to 'erase his traces'?"
The name Raven was one El had first heard from the brother before him—the head of Aurell.
It had been tossed out abruptly during one of his usual hectic days. The organization had only recently found its footing and achieved a measure of stability.
Though the memory was strangely hazy, he recalled the conversation well enough.
"Do you remember anyone named 'Raven'?"
"Was there someone by that name...? Who is he?"
"...He might be a benefactor."
"...?"
"I'm not even certain he exists, but we can view him that way for now."
Not a confirmed benefactor, but someone who might be one.
Even if the man truly was his benefactor, any other form of repayment should have sufficed. There had been no need to go this far.
El could not conceal his doubt.
"Does he hold some special 'value' that outweighs immediate gains?"
"...Who knows."
"Brother."
"Let me first answer the question you're most curious about..."
Edardo lifted his gaze from the documents and looked at El.
Noticing the doubt and worry reflected in those golden eyes so similar to his own, he paused. Then, rubbing the back of his left hand with his right, he murmured his answer.
"An information organization runs on loyalty."
His fingertips traced the uneven texture of old scars.
"And hiding him was the promise I made."
A promise that had continued for ten years now, with no end in sight.
"Since the current Aurell exists because of him, the promise must be kept."
Raven.
When he had first heard that name spoken by another, he had doubted his own ears.
It was a name he had turned over in his mind countless times, yet hearing it aloud felt both intimately familiar and strangely alien.
A figure whose very existence had once seemed doubtful. The traces had been too clear, forcing him to acknowledge the erased memories and strive not to forget them, yet doubt had always lingered in a corner of his heart. To see the man appear like this filled him with unexpected joy.
'Of course, he doesn't seem to have expected anything.'
Records stated the man had said there was no point in expecting anything afterward, since he would forget regardless.
But.
'There is no way I would break a promise.'
That would be an insult to him.
Even if the memory faded, the promise would be kept. That was why he was willing to act even at a loss.
Once more, his fierce golden eyes blazed like those of a beast whose pride had been clawed.
"...Then."
When exactly had such a promise been made?
El tilted his head with an expression of pure incomprehension before apparently giving up and speaking again.
There was still one question left unanswered.
"What should we do about the mercenary who traveled with him?"
"...Ah, the mercenary who handled that 'bandit subjugation.'"
The unfortunate mercenary who had taken our request.
Reports confirmed the man was strolling through the capital, unaware his life hung by a thread.
"They said there was a suitable candidate."
A cold smile curved Edardo's lips. It was a sneer aimed at the vile guild that had stolen a mercenary's luck and shortened his life.
"They dragged an innocent man in as a sacrifice."
Of course, he could not claim his own side was blameless—after all, they had seized the mercenary guild's weaknesses, shaken them, and forced money into their hands when they hesitated.
At least he had assumed they would push forward someone rotten. He had not expected them to exploit an innocent like this.
"To think they would use a descendant of Lofty as a disposable card. They cannot even distinguish what deserves to be preserved. Truly, their foolishness knows no bounds."
Old things gain value simply by virtue of their age.
Moreover, the Lofty Mercenary Group had existed from the moment history first began to be recorded until the present day. Excluding those of Esperanes and a handful of other nations, it was the oldest living evidence of human legacy.
A living relic proving the existence of the mythic era—a presence inferred to have endured even before the starting point of true history.
"Left as he is, he will surely die."
"He will."
"Thanks to that, we also managed to strike a blow against those wretches from Esperanes..."
And the trash beneath them would be dragged down as well.
"A favor must be repaid."
As the one who had provided the cause and benefited from the outcome, was it not proper to save his life at least once?
Keeping him alive was advantageous in its own right.
"Continue watching. If danger arises, inform me immediately."
"Immediately, sir?"
"Yes. Immediately."
"Understood."
Having received his answers, El moved on to the next topic.
As expected of the leadership of an information organization that processed countless reports, more questions remained.
"The self-proclaimed slave liberation activist Daniel is investigating us. How should we respond?"
"Him?"
Edardo let out a short, dry laugh, as if he had been expecting it.
"Meeting him once someday wouldn't be bad, but..."
"......"
"Not now."
It was still too early.
Becoming entangled with the Republic's revolutionary army would only bring trouble.
"If we carelessly involve ourselves in the Republic's affairs, it will definitely become a nuisance. We already have enough nuisances to deal with."
"Understood."
Daniel, slave liberation activist and revolutionary of the Republic, adjusted his clothes while turning over the report he had received.
Raven had fallen into Deciever's grasp. The conclusion was simple.
"I expected it, but we still failed to recruit him completely. There's not even a crack left to slip through."
"My apologies."
"It can't be helped. We only tested the waters ourselves. Honestly, what could someone of that caliber possibly lack that would make him want to join us?"
He could not claim to feel no regret, but he erased it quickly. A man who had to look forward and advance for the sake of a better life could not afford to cling to small things.
Instead, he finished straightening his attire and turned with a spin. In contrast to his ornate, luxurious clothing, a rather subdued smile rose to his lips.
"More importantly, is the outfit acceptable? No flaws?"
"Yes. It is perfect. Besides, who would dare point a finger at a Heavenly Blood? They would be too busy throwing themselves to the ground in worship."
"That really isn't a pleasant thing to hear at all."
Heavenly Blood.
The noble and exalted bloodline of leaders chosen by the heavens. In simpler terms, it referred to those who carried the Republic leader's surname 'Rot' after their given names.
In the Republic their existence was akin to divinity itself. They claimed that all beings except fellow Heavenly Bloods and the 'true gods' existed beneath their feet. His aide's words were correct. Who in the Republic would dare point a finger at a god? Doubting a god was blasphemy in itself.
Among fellow Heavenly Bloods, respect was the baseline so long as the other party had not been 'contaminated.' As long as no harm came to them, any action was accepted without question, leaving no room for criticism.
'A rotten bunch.'
What they called 'contamination' was the act of showing consideration to those beneath them.
To say that a person considering another person was some form of 'contamination.' The mere thought of attending a gathering full of such creatures made his stomach turn, but he could not give them any cause for suspicion. The Heavenly Bloods were fools, but their leader was sharp-eyed.
"I'll be back."
Thus, Daniel—or rather, the Republic's noble Heavenly Blood Digni Rot—swallowed his nausea and stepped through the door to attend the Rot assembly.
'Things wrapped up faster than expected.'
To think the man would walk straight into the trap of his own accord.
If they had observed a little longer, they might have seized a weakness in Aurell. But Raven's return had brought every movement to a halt. Starve let out a regretful sigh.
'To think he could close a Gate alone in such a short time. The association heads weren't desperately clinging to him for nothing, it seems.'
Obtaining such a man would be no different from gaining a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.
Had he known beforehand, he would have poured every available resource into capturing him. If he had secured Raven's person first, he could have profited by joining hands with the man himself, or—even in failure—by handing him over to the association heads.
— Are you listening right now!!
"Ah."
— The information network of Esperanes, with its long and noble history, being equal to some slum-born information organization? This is absurd! In all of Esperanes' history, such a thing has never happened!
...An old fool who could do nothing but boast with his age.
His ears ached. Starve's lips twisted faintly. Coldness flickered through his purple eyes.
— It was only at the ducal house's request that we specially granted you the position despite you not being a native of Esperanes, yet this is how you repay us! To think you cannot even remove a single leader from the slums...
"Wasn't neutrality and non-interference the very core of Esperanes?"
Annoying old men.
To speak of 'not being a native of Esperanes' in front of someone born with the blood of the Esperanes ducal house. It was both absurd and irrefutable, and the irony of his own position made him want to laugh.
Though he knew it was wiser to listen in silence, the irritation scraping at his insides made Starve deliberately speak up and catch the tail of the other's words.
"Thanks to Aurell, Esperanes' information organization draws less suspicion. I believe the current balance is ideal."
— Neutrality and non-interference exist to prevent harm from coming to Esperanes! We have no obligation to sit and watch them gnaw away at our domain! Besides, Esperanes has survived perfectly well while dominating the information trade until now. There is no need to suddenly worry about such things!
"I believe there is nothing more foolish than assuming that because something has been fine until now, it will remain fine forever."
— Shut up and eliminate Aurell at once! Kill their leader if necessary!
If he pushed any further, the situation would explode.
Since losing this position now would be problematic, Starve closed his mouth and exhaled a faint sigh.
"The leader there is an Awakened. Several of his siblings are Awakened as well. It is not as simple as you seem to think."
— Is that not precisely your role to fulfill!
Since when had removing rivals become his duty?
Since it was not a face-to-face communication, he made no effort to hide his annoyance as he lowered his gaze.
The irritating voice continued.
— And establish a connection with the one called 'Raven.' Since every association head is searching for him, he must be useful.
"...I will."
Further argument would only harm him, so he answered obediently. Despite his expression, his voice emerged remarkably calm.
.
.
.
'To have it so clearly engraved that everything has rotted from sitting stagnant for so long—I suppose I should express my gratitude.'
The more they revealed themselves, the stronger his desire to kill them all grew.
After enduring the old men's drivel for what felt like an eternity, Starve finally cut the communication. He let out a hollow laugh and leaned back in his chair. Lifting his head, he covered his eyes with the back of his hand, plunging himself into darkness.
'...The tasks ahead...'
Restraining Aurell and attempting to eliminate its leader, Edardo. Drawing Raven in. That should cover it.
However, if Raven showed any sign of building a relationship with Aurell, it would be best to eliminate him. There was no need to increase unnecessary risks. The association heads were a minor nuisance, but he could simply fabricate the incident as Aurell's doing.
'Considering Edardo's abilities and Raven's own combat strength, it is an absurd fantasy that could only happen in dreams.'
...Which was precisely why it appealed to him even more.
Beneath the back of his hand, the purple eyes lost in thought rolled slowly. Someone was knocking at the door.