Gehenna Project
Twenty minutes after setting off in the carriage under Harka's guidance for the Gehenna Project.
We arrived at Bezeina Castle without any further incidents.
"…Can we really just get out here?"
"There seem to be too many eyes watching us…."
"Before that, are you all really knights…? What kind of impression is this…."
The group hesitated to disembark even after reaching the main gate.
Harka burst into boisterous laughter at the sight.
"Kahahahat! No need to worry. From the looks of it, you're the last bloodline of the Leyseras royal family that's been making such a fuss lately…."
"…!!"
"Such…!"
The knights' hands went straight to their sword hilts at the man's behavior, as if he already knew their identities.
He glanced at the four knights on high alert and continued.
"Whoa, whoa, hear a man out! I said no need to worry. Bezeina is one of the few dungeon cities that maintains neutrality no matter the situation."
Dungeon city.
A term for certain cities that hold immense fortune, like a massive treasure chest—yielding vast resources, artifacts, and the corpses of monsters essential for alchemy.
Dungeons are coveted by the kingdom alliance, the empire, and even the merchant council.
The three greatest powers on the continent all desire them.
Thus, a city with a dungeon is recognized as a dungeon city and allowed to maintain neutrality—for everyone's benefit.
'Of course, everyone tacitly picks a side to align with….'
I didn't know when Bezeina had gained its dungeon, but if it truly was one, and if Bedin—the de facto lord—hadn't fully committed to a faction, or at least not the empire, there was no need for him to touch the princess.
The others finally relaxed at Harka's confident demeanor, disembarking one by one.
"Alright, let's head in quick! Oh, and Leon, if it's alright with you, I've got a favor to ask regarding the dungeon… Think you could help?"
"If things go well with Bedin."
"Always so picky, huh."
With that, we followed Harka into the castle.
Before heading straight to see Bedin, Rihella Leyseras and the knights were first escorted to guest rooms in the castle.
"Um… still, being completely separated…."
Rihella had initially been reluctant to part from me, shooting subtle glances.
But after Harka's nonchalant explanation of the rooms—lavish enough to rival a royal palace's VIP suites—she was hooked and followed the maid without protest.
'After days living worse than common mercenaries or adventurers, who could resist some luxury?'
Rowen and the knights, craving proper rest, followed the servants without objection.
Soon after, we reached a door adorned with unmistakably ominous decorations.
This had to be the lord's office….
As Harka reached for the knocker, I casually asked.
"At this point, you're not just the lord's proxy—you're saying Bedin is the count himself, right?"
Harka roared with laughter, clutching his belly.
"Kek, you see it too, Leon? With those ears and wits of yours, you'd figure it out in days anyway, so no point hiding it. We took real control of this castle through legal means. Not some illegal swallow-up."
"…What did I say? I was just confirming because it's so absurd."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Let's go in."
Kkiiik.
The door creaked open with a faint grind.
Inside the office, faint cigar smoke mingled with the scratch of a fountain pen filling the space.
"Hoo… Work's piled up again today. What is it?"
"Boss, I know you're swamped, but take a look here. Got a precious guest."
"…What?"
Bedin glanced up at Harka's cheeky shout, spotted the guest, and stared blankly in disbelief before slowly rising and approaching.
"…Scoured every newspaper and magazine on the continent for a year straight, like hunting rats, and couldn't find even the 'L' in Leon or the 'M' in a new master."
His massive frame stopped just close enough to touch.
"And now you just show up out of nowhere."
His huge arms enveloped my shoulders in a tight embrace.
I felt the subtle tremor in the muscles of his arms crushing my shoulders.
Without a word, it was clear how much he'd worried over the past year—and how glad he was to see me again.
I stayed still for a moment, then awkwardly patted his broad, solid back twice with my right arm.
"Long time no see, Bedin."
Even after the brief hug, he stared at me intently, as if to bore holes through my face.
I couldn't guess his thoughts on my eyepatch-covered eyes, but I met his gaze steadily and cut to the chase.
"Before we catch up, may I get to business first?"
Bedin nodded without hesitation.
"Say it. If it's repaying the favor I owe you, I'll gladly wage war on a kingdom right now."
"Heh."
I let out an involuntary chuckle.
Back-alley boss or now, he was still the same straightforward guy.
"Not that serious. I could topple a kingdom single-handed anyway."
"Can't argue that… So, what's the business that brings you here so suddenly?"
"Simple. Do you know about the Gehenna Project—top secret in the Rosonto Kingdom right now?"
"……."
Bedin's face hardened at the unexpected question.
His reaction confirmed he knew something, so I pressed on.
"Are you invested in it, by any chance?"
"……Yeah."
After a long silence, Bedin forced out the word.
He glanced at me, then sent Harka—who'd been listening—out.
Guiding me to the reception sofa, he waited until I sat and picked at a snack on the table before speaking.
"The so-called Gehenna Project. I can guess why you're here, so upfront: we invested just to protect our family."
"You knew roughly what kind of business it was?"
"…Vaguely. Something about granting power to orphans without parents or beastkin with 2-5 times human physical ability to create bioweapons."
"The pretext: using that power to exterminate the Five Great Sins devouring the continent for millennia."
"…Yeah."
Bedin bowed his head in clean admission.
I watched him sink into thought.
Hoo, this is tricky.
One of the game's three massive content pillars, the main villains of the sin subjugation arc after the early academy part: the Five Great Sins.
Rosonto's project to eliminate them and let humans rule the continent alone.
But its end result birthed Eretoa of Corrosion—a late-game main villain, one of the Seven Disasters.
And Bedin was involved.
'This damn world's dark fantasy for sure.'
No one in this world was fully trustworthy.
Of course, that didn't make Bedin a trash villain. As he said first, he invested to protect his people—his intent was understandable.
Craving force by any means to safeguard his turf and family was rational for a faction leader.
'Problem is, he picked the key to open hell itself.'
"……."
As I silently munched snacks, Bedin fidgeted nervously, more tense than ever.
The back-alley ruler, seasoned in all things, glancing at a blind swordsman like this.
I watched a while, brushed off crumbs, and spoke.
This guy was nearing fifty—prolonged tension wasn't good for his heart.
"No need to stiffen up. I'm not planning to judge you."
"…Really."
"Yes. You already suspected that, unlike the lofty mythic name Gehenna, Rosonto's doing horrific human experiments on orphans and beastkin, right?"
Bedin nodded heavily once.
"I came here just to help you pull out your investment before it's too late. I plan to crush the Gehenna Project before another disaster is born."
Bedin's brow twitched at my blunt purpose.
"Pull out? What's that mean? Another disaster?"
"Your shallow info differs from the truth. Completing it won't birth sin-killing bioweapons—it'll unleash something far worse, uncontrollable, making the Five Great Sins look laughable."
I sipped tea to wet my throat, thumb brushing the hilt of my greatsword leaning nearby.
The rough blade edge touched my fingertip.
…Time to sharpen it soon.
It's gotten dull after just a few uses.
"Anyway… that's why I'll handle it myself. I'll smash that insane project and ship back your principal plus hefty interest. Just give me some supplies and such—that's my real request."
"……."
Silence fell over the office as I finished.
Tap, tap.
Bedin drummed the table, mulling my words.
Soon, his breathing steadied, shoulders dropping in relief at not being condemned or turned enemy.
"Haa…."
He sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes with rough palms before slumping against the sofa back.
"Good thing. From the moment you walked in, I had a bad feeling I'd backed the wrong horse. Knowing your power best, I nearly made an enemy of you—chilling."
"Now that you know, be more careful picking investments. Sins are scary, but human experiments? No."
"Yeah, if you say so that firmly, I won't pry into the details. No need for refunds—just tell me how to support you finishing that shit safely. I'll back it all with Bezeina County's name."
"Heavens, anyone'd think you're the count."
"…Kahat! This cheeky brat hasn't changed a bit."
Bedin laughed heartily, rising with a slap on his knee.
The heavy tension gone, he was back to the reliable, jovial back-alley boss I knew.
"Alright, enough heavy talk. You must be hungry after the long trip—time to catch up properly."
He clapped my shoulder and headed for the door.
"Want to greet those precious guests you brought too. Harka probably has all the chefs on standby, so let's hit the dining hall."
"Always masterful at changing subjects."
I nodded lightly and stood.
'Guests, huh.'
Rowen and the knights were fine, but timid Rihella Leyseras—hyper-tuned to survival instincts—might struggle swallowing food across from rough old Bedin.
Still, she'd manage.
She had to.
Compared to this brutal world, Bedin was just a gatekeeper at the entrance.
I shelved idle thoughts and followed him out.
A promising aroma already wafted faintly from the corridor ahead.
Rewinding time a bit.
Having earned one last chance from the One Duke Three Marquises, the Black Moon assassins sought solid intel.
They hired one of the continent's rare necromancers from Harne—who converse with the dead—for a whopping 2,000 gold coins.
Now investigating Chensi Forest together.
"…Do you see anything?"
Cheiders, one of Black Moon's strongest 13 assassins known as the Waning Moon, asked cautiously.
The necromancer, eyes closed, communed with spirits over the massive crater—presumed site of the pursuers' deaths—and slowly shook his head.
"All humans who died here are severed from the world."
"Severed from the world… What exactly does that mean?"
"Simple. Another world has swallowed this entire area. At least 100 years before we can even chat with soul fragments."
"……No way?"
"Yes, they were all slain by a Sword Master-level being."
Cheiders mulled the word "Sword Master" as his gaze fixed ahead again.
The scene was utterly unreal.
One side of dense Chensi Forest had perfectly vaporized in a massive semicircle.
Only absolute force could do this.
The overwhelming trace of destruction by one who wielded aura freely—a transcendent.
'In this vast continent, with only six masters, the princess met one… and got help?'
Cheiders was genuinely puzzled.
'Then why aid fallen Leyseras? Or… an unknown new master?'
His thoughts looped, yielding no answers.
A Sword Master was national-level power.
If one of the six, movement would've been reported—but nothing.
Yet the man before him, emanating clear aura, affirmed a master's involvement.
'Then a new master has emerged for sure.'
Swipe.
Cheiders raised a hand, signaling lightly into the air.
Assassers scouring the area melted from shadows to the ground, assembling before him instantly.
"Further search is pointless. All units, prepare to withdraw."
His mind tangled again as he issued the order.
Returning to the leader empty-handed.
Worse, with uncertain news of a possible master.
With noble faction pressure mounting from the One Duke Three Marquises, how to spin this failure?
Then, Harne's staff-wielding necromancer approached leisurely.
Swipe.
A heavy leather pouch extended from his bony hand.
"Half your fee refunded."
"…What's this mean?"
The necromancer glanced at the crater, face grim, and stated firmly.
"Harne will no longer cooperate with Black Moon after today."
"…Sudden. Our pay isn't insufficient."
"Not about money. Tangling with a master is too thorny. Even we who summon and command the dead souls don't want a foe who severs worlds with one stroke."
An effective ban.
Normally insolence Black Moon wouldn't tolerate, but Cheiders showed no ire.
Harne folk were near-worshipped; provoking a master's wrath lightly was suicide, as they said.
Nod.
"Understood."
Cheiders pocketed the pouch wordlessly, bowing.
"Thank you. Though our deal ends here, we'll escort you safely."
The necromancer nodded faintly and headed forest's edge.
Other assassins swiftly formed ranks, securing retreat.
As all prepared to leave Chensi Forest.
Cheiders, last in line, paused before turning, gazing at the ashen crater once more.
'Hope this new variable isn't trouble….'
He narrowed his eyes, gripping his waist dagger's hilt tightly.
'No one must hinder His Grace's aspirations.'
With that brief musing, Cheiders vanished completely into the deepening shadows of the dusk forest.