The Price of Knowledge
“……Yes?”
“Eyes sharp enough to notice the unease of something hidden in the darkest spot beneath the lamp, a brilliant mind capable of piecing together fragmented information, and above all, the nerve to speak more than one coherent sentence in front of His Excellency.”
It sounded like a compliment, at least.
While I hesitated, unable to find the right words, Dupont Clancher continued.
“You still need considerable refinement, but that’s more than enough to call you a raw gem.”
“Y-you’re too kind. But I’m truly satisfied with my current life in the action squad!”
“No need to worry on that front. You will continue operating within the action squad.”
“But you just said I would now be working in the intelligence division—the Crows……”
“Ah, I see that part caused some confusion.”
Dupont Clancher gave my shoulder a couple of reassuring pats before returning to his seat.
I remained standing exactly where I was.
“All Crows maintain a surface-level affiliation while they work. It’s a form of disguise identity.”
“Disguise identity……?”
A term I knew only too well.
I had lived as Helena of the Wickers for the past thirteen years, after all.
Yet now that my revenge was complete, they wanted me to do it again?
“I don’t know the details, but it sounds incredibly dangerous and difficult! I think it would suit someone like me far better to simply spend the rest of my days guarding an outer wall post……”
“You have already learned of the Crows.”
“That’s true, but……”
“Having learned of their existence, you are now left with only two choices. Become a Crow, or die.”
Dupont Clancher gazed at me with an annoyingly serene expression, legs crossed leisurely.
“I imagine His Grace the Duke would like to see you grow into an exceptional Crow.”
……I’m going to lose my mind.
The man who had so casually tossed out the ultimatum of live as a Crow or die wrapped up the meeting without waiting for my reply.
He pulled out a pocket watch, checked the time, and muttered, “I can still get two hours of sleep,” as if my answer were too obvious to bother hearing.
As infuriating as it was, he was right.
Oh, he did say one more thing.
“That will be all for tonight. Someone will explain the details to you shortly.”
Thud.
I didn’t even have the strength to change my clothes. The moment I reached my quarters I collapsed onto the bed.
“Haaaa.”
Dawn was still hours away.
How much had happened in just a few short hours?
The first thing that rose in my mind was Killian Knox’s infuriatingly handsome face.
And the overwhelming pressure he had used to pin me down.
Even after the Eclipse ended, the monster remained a monster.
Stronger than Edward. Maybe even stronger than that.
Until now, the strongest person I knew had been Edward Wickers.
I had weighed every factor—raw physical power, the skill to wield that monstrous strength, and his instinctive battle sense—to reach that conclusion.
How lucky I had felt that my revenge target was not Edward but his father, Benedict Wickers.
But even Edward Wickers would be no match for Killian Knox.
I had crossed swords with Edward countless times while we grew up together.
I had yet to face Killian Knox in a proper fight.
Yet I knew.
Edward could never defeat Killian Knox.
Because a man and a monster were two different things.
And that Killian Knox now holds my life in his hands.
For now, I should be glad I survived.
The more treacherous the road, the more you must celebrate every small victory.
Well done, Helena Morton. You did well…….
I closed my eyes and tried to comfort myself, but in the end I dragged the pillow over my face.
“Killian Knox, you fucking bastard! You piece of shit! I’ll rip your goddamn throat out and—!”
I hurled every curse I could think of into the thick cotton pillow, kicking wildly at the air.
No matter how much I thrashed, the rage refused to subside.
At this rate I would suffocate from my own fury before it ever cooled.
“Hah!”
When I hurled the pillow aside, my ash-blonde hair sprang up wildly from the static.
“You want me to go through all that hell again?”
I had thought I might finally live comfortably.
Now I had to work in intelligence again?
For the Knox family, no less?
“Damn it.”
Killian Knox, I hope you step in dog shit with those expensive shoes of yours.
I hope a sudden downpour soaks you to the bone and you slip on wet fallen leaves.
No, that’s still too mild.
I hope you choke embarrassingly in front of important people and get stung by a wasp while trying to look cool in front of a woman you like.
I imagined every humiliating scenario I could, but the boiling anger in my chest refused to settle.
Because no matter what misfortune I pictured, Killian Knox’s perfect face would still shine, and the crazy bastard would probably find the chaos entertaining rather than embarrassing.
And above all, no amount of cursing the man who had dragged me into this swamp would change the reality that I had become one of the Knox Crows.
“Argh!”
I sat up abruptly, raking my hands through my hair.
“What can I do? I have to do it.”
I couldn’t run away, and I didn’t want to die.
So I had no choice but to accept this miserable reality.
To organize my chaotic thoughts, I broke my goals down into three clear steps.
First, maintain just enough usefulness as a Crow.
Second, seize an opportunity to obtain the dragon blood antidote from Killian Knox.
Finally, escape.
This time I would run far, far away to a place where neither Edward Wickers nor Killian Knox could ever find me.
I had already done it once. Why couldn’t I do it again?
Simplifying the situation made my mind feel a little lighter… or so I wished.
I really, really hated this.
“Hoo.”
I scratched my head once more and glanced out the window.
The sky was still pitch black, but in a few hours that damned round sun would rise again.
I should wash up quickly and get at least some sleep before then…….
“The night sky?”
I was certain I had drawn the curtains carefully before leaving.
Every nerve in my body tightened at once and my mind snapped awake.
Someone has been in my room.
I moved quickly and silently, pressing my back flat against the wall beside the window.
With a soft scrape, I drew the dagger I kept hidden in my shoe and used its tip to lift the slightly parted curtain.
I scanned the surroundings as best I could through the limited view.
There were no signs of people near the action squad quarters.
The windowsill was clean.
No footprints remained.
Instead, something else caught my eye.
“So locking the door was pointless, I see.”
The window latch stood wide open.
The intruder had not even bothered to erase their traces.
When I turned my head, I spotted an object placed on the table in the corner of the room.
It sat there so obviously that I felt foolish for not noticing it sooner—a heavy-looking sack.
At this point I no longer felt the need to stay on high alert.
“Ha.”
A dry laugh escaped me.
They hadn’t failed to erase their traces.
They had deliberately left proof that they had been here.
I stabbed the sack with my dagger. With a heavy clink, a cascade of gleaming gold coins spilled out.
It was an enormous sum—more than an action squad member could save in a lifetime.
There was only one reason such money would be left in my quarters.
“The bonus reward.”
It was the special payment I had been promised for blocking the Green Merchants.
“And they left it like this.”
To think they had deliberately entered my room and left it here.
It was the kind of twisted taste I would expect from Killian Knox.
He probably hadn’t done it himself, but he had plenty of subordinates who would jump at a single word from him.
The meaning behind the sack he had deliberately placed on my table was clear.
There is no place where you can hide.
“What an irritating bastard.”
Clunk.
I tossed the dagger beside the sack and leaned against the table.
As I irritably swept back the hair that had fallen over my eyes, something out of place caught my attention among the scattered coins.
“……A note?”
On the unfolded scrap of paper was a short, hastily written message.
Tomorrow, 9 AM.
Annex clearing, in front of the zelkova tree.