The Back Alleys of Erdimia
The Erdimia Kingdom.
The continent's mightiest fortress.
Its defense system consisted of five concentric walls dividing the territory, and the Royal Knights stationed at each wall were a treasure trove of military might and manpower.
Standing before a colossal wall that seemed dozens of times taller than himself, Roan stepped into the Fifth Ring.
Clack!
Two guards blocking the gate crossed their spears, barring their path.
"State your identity to enter as an outsider."
"We must also inspect your belongings. Please show us your bags and pockets."
Before anyone could say a word, all eyes shifted.
Jane and Belgard both looked at Roan at the same time.
Even though their reaction was highly suspicious, the guards remained stoic.
"It's fine. Show them."
Unlike his anxious companions, Roan was perfectly calm.
They opened the backpack for a quick look.
The sleeping hatchling was visible inside, but the guards showed no sign of stopping them.
"The black market is located at the end of Ver's Alley, east of the Third Ring."
In fact, they openly volunteered the black market's existence.
"If you sell it for a good price, we would appreciate a finder's fee."
They even made a proposition!
At any rate, it was a relief that entry wasn't an issue.
Nodding vaguely, Roan and his party stepped inside.
"...What? It's totally corrupt here," Jane muttered.
"Now that I think about it, I believe I've heard rumors. The current king turns a blind eye to this sort of thing..." Belgard added.
"True. Though we aren't heading inside the Third Ring just yet anyway," Roan said.
"Right... You said that hatchling is a seed of ruin, didn't you? Selling it to the black market would only bring disaster."
"Indeed. It's not like we're desperate for money."
"...Actually, a little bit," Jane murmured softly, having spent quite a lot lately.
Her quiet complaint was immediately drowned out by the clamor within the city walls, however.
"Oho..."
Roan let out a soft exclamation as he took in the sight of the kingdom's interior.
Though he had visited this kingdom in his past life, the view was still breathtakingly overwhelming.
The Fifth Ring.
The district of the outcasts.
Yet, its sheer scale far surpassed any ordinary city.
Countless goods of every variety lined the stalls.
Groceries, household tools, and even magic books.
Despite their ragged attire, the lively merchants clapped their hands to draw crowds, while others busily hustled passersby.
Occasionally, men and women who looked practically naked could be seen, though they didn't seem to be actively soliciting customers.
"...This isn't a manufactured liveliness like the one in the Ash River," Belgard remarked.
"That place was pure brainwashing," Roan replied, pointing toward the next wall. "Let's head to the Fourth Ring first. Our target is the guild office."
The hub of adventurer activity.
He planned to wait for the Black Knight at the guild office there.
Without wasting any time, Roan's party entered the Fourth Ring and stood before the guild building.
"Wait... there are way too many people here," Jane said.
Just as she said, the place was packed to the gills with people coming and going.
"It can't be helped. People flock here from all the neighboring cities."
Since it was the largest guild office in the region, people gathered from everywhere.
The diversity of races was also unprecedented; there were dwarves, elves, and even beastkin.
"There doesn't seem to be any discrimination," Belgard noted.
"Adventurers only care about skill," Roan replied as they squeezed their way inside.
The interior was even more crowded, particularly around the quest board and the reception desks.
"Lively, isn't it?"
"...Yeah."
In a positive sense, it meant there was plenty of work for adventurers. In a negative sense, it meant there were too many troubles requiring brute force.
"Well... we're not here to take a quest anyway, are we?"
Indeed.
Their goal wasn't a quest, but finding Rowell.
If they took a quest and left, they might miss him and end up on another wild goose chase.
"Let's just find a seat. Since everyone is crowded around the board and the receptionists, this area is actually pretty empty."
Despite the massive size of the building, the crowd was concentrated in specific spots, leaving plenty of room to sit and rest.
"With this many people, we won't even notice if that bastard Rowell walks in," Jane grumbled, keeping her eyes on the entrance.
"He wore black armor, right? But there seem to be quite a few people in black armor..." Belgard murmured.
"Seriously. Way more than I expected," Jane agreed.
There were plenty of armored figures, and even more people dressed entirely in black.
Distinguishing Rowell among them would be—
"Whoa..."
"Hey, look. It's the Hound."
"Huh? What's going on?"
A commotion stirred near the entrance.
It seemed a famous figure had arrived.
As the crowd's attention shifted, Roan and his party turned their gaze in that direction as well...
"...Get him!"
Roan lunged forward the instant he gave the signal.
Jane's mana chains and Belgard's holy reinforcement surged right behind him, hurtling toward their target.
Crash!
Clank-clank!
"Urgh?! What is this?! Mana chains?! Dammit! Holy power too...?!"
True to the old adage of speaking of the devil, Rowell had appeared right on cue.
And in that very instant, he found himself utterly helpless, bound tight by the onslaught of Roan's party.
Creeeeak!
"W-Wait! Roan! The bastard is trying to break the chains!"
"Unbelievable... Is he breaking them with sheer physical strength? Even with my support?!"
Jane channeled mana from her fingertips while Belgard pressed his hands together to layer his holy power.
Their opponent's resistance was far fiercer than expected.
In other words, it was a deeply moving sight for Roan.
"Rowell...! You've truly made the armor's power your own! I'm so proud of you!"
Unlike their previous, one-sided reunion, this was direct physical contact.
With that thought, Roan poured strength into his grip.
At the same time, Rowell's resistance suddenly died down.
"Huh? What... he suddenly stopped fighting?" Jane blinked.
"Indeed. Did he realize we are allies?" Belgard wondered.
"No, wait. That's not it."
Jane stared at Roan.
With the crowd backing away from the sudden commotion, the two tangled figures were clearly visible.
The black armor, which had been radiating a sinister aura just moments ago, was now as quiet as a dead mouse.
"...I think the armor is terrified of Roan."
"Pardon...? The armor?"
Jane explained to Belgard.
The armor possessed a will of its own.
And Roan had thoroughly disciplined it.
Hearing the explanation, Belgard stared at Rowell.
The Hound.
The Wanderer.
The fixer who effortlessly cleared A-rank quests.
Despite his fearsome reputation, he was being subdued with pathetic ease.
...
Roan dragged him into a back alley of the Fourth Ring.
There were simply too many eyes in the guild hall to give him a proper talking-to.
"You bastard...! Are you planning to sell me to the black market?! Or my armor?! Just kill me instead!"
"What are you talking about? I thought the black market was in the Third Ring."
"Are you stupid?! If you go straight up from this very alley, you'll end up right there!"
Rowell seemed to have gathered quite a bit of local knowledge from his wanderings.
However, Roan's party truly had no intention of going there.
"We have no interest in the black market. We came to find you, and we just want to talk."
"...Even if you say that, I will absolutely never become your companion!"
Rowell seemed utterly convinced that Roan wanted to recruit him.
Of course, Roan fully intended to do so if the opportunity arose, but he had no desire to force him.
"That's not our goal right now. My companions seemed a bit uncomfortable with you, so I came to clear the air first..."
Rowell furrowed his brow, looking at him as if he were speaking gibberish.
Roan patted him on the shoulder.
"We're going to travel together eventually anyway, right? So it's best to air out any grievances beforehand."
At Roan's signal, the other two stepped forward.
Holy power and mana chains once again settled over the cowering armor.
Still unable to break free, Rowell stared blankly up at the two women.
What followed was a merciless onslaught of anger and nagging, extracting a desperate apology from their captive.
"S-Stop! Please!"
"I was wrong!"
"I'll never target your marks again, I swear!!"
"Phew, I feel so much better now."
With her lingering resentment cleared, Jane's complexion looked positively radiant.
Watching the fleeing Rowell, she finally smiled, thoroughly satisfied to have fulfilled her long-standing wish.
"Glad to hear it. Shall we head out then? It'll be troublesome if we get into a pointless fight in these back alleys—"
The moment Roan gestured for them to leave,
"...I came to see what all the noise was about, and it seems I've stumbled upon quite an eccentric group."
A low, raspy voice drifted into their ears.
Turning toward the sound, they saw a figure draped in tattered rags.
"...Who are you?"
"Ah, my apologies. I should have introduced myself first."
He stood well over three meters tall.
His face was completely hidden beneath a deeply pulled-down hood.
His frame, faintly visible beneath the rags, was gaunt and skeletal.
Yet, despite his wretched appearance, the energy swirling within him felt incredibly potent.
He's no ordinary man. Who is he? I never saw him in my past life.
Yet another deviation from his previous life.
Roan raised his sword and shield, tensing in wariness.
"There is no need to be so guarded. I have neither the strength nor the desire to fight."
The lanky giant gestured to himself with a skeletal hand.
"I am a nameless merchant who runs a market in the Third Ring. My wares consist of slaves and exotic pets."
He listed items that anyone would immediately associate with the black market.
Having boldly revealed his identity, the giant continued.
"And just now, I sensed the aura of a rare pet inside your backpack. To be precise... a dragon hatchling."
He was spot on.
Before Roan could even respond, the giant made his offer.
"Would you be willing to sell that child? I will offer you a handsome sum."
"Keep your handsome sum. I have no intention of selling."
It could never be allowed to fall into the black market.
The moment it fell into the hands of some wicked, wealthy noble, a continent-wide crisis would begin.
"Ah, have you perhaps grown attached to it during your travels? You need not worry. I will only sell it to someone worthy of being its master."
Hummm...
As if reacting to the lanky merchant's words, Roan's shield vibrated.
The gem embedded in its center began to emit a bright glow.
The light pointed directly at the giant standing right in front of him.
It was absolute confirmation that this man was a liar and an evielder.
"...Absolutely not. I can't let it fall into the hands of a bad person."
When Roan spoke, the giant's affable tone vanished instantly.
"My, what a pity. You could have walked away with a fortune if you had simply agreed..."
His posture seemed to say, 'You really insist on doing this the hard way,' as he reached out his hand.
And then—
Crunch!
"...Huh?"
Roan's shield was crushed.