First Point (5)

Alminas Central Bank was the place where money from all over the world gathered. When one considered the various treasures stored in its private safety deposit boxes, it was practically a dragon’s hoard. And because it housed such vast wealth, its security facilities were, predictably, top-notch.

In fact, the bank seemed far more suitable for imprisoning a high-value individual than the Public Security Bureau or the Explorer Guild’s underground prison.

“Isn’t this a little too obvious…?”

When I explained the situation to Raven, her response was largely what I had expected.

“Harin Savy?” First of all, I don’t know why you have a love paper with someone like her. She’s the right-hand woman of Countess Peprok, and Countess Peprok is undoubtedly aligned with a Marquis. This is a trap no matter how you look at it. I hate to say it, but why do you think they didn’t just kill Ms. Aynar on the spot?”

To be honest, I’d been thinking along the same lines.

Of course, Raven didn’t know that Harin Savy was Hyunbyeol, or what kind of relationship she had with me. Furthermore, I don’t believe Hyunbyeol deliberately gave me false information by siding with the Marquis.

But…

‘It doesn’t change the fact that this is a trap.’

The issue wasn’t the informant, but the fact that the information reached me at all. If the Noarkans had truly wanted to keep Aynar’s information secret, it never would have reached me.

‘And considering the Marquis’s personality…’

This wasn’t a matter of chance. It was clearly a trap, and Aynar’s capture alive only proved it, as Raven had pointed out. I expected them to attempt a negotiation, but instead they scheduled an execution. It was far too transparent.

But…

‘If I move right now.’

Maybe this moment was the “Golden Time.” The information had come through Hyunbyeol. Even the royal army hadn’t gotten their hands on it yet, so there was no way they could imagine that I already knew.

In simple terms, there was a strong chance their trap preparations weren’t finished yet.

I need to hurry.

Time was short.
***
Opposite the Alminas Central Bank stood the former headquarters of Alminas Business. Although it was once a center of activity, it had long since been looted and reduced to little more than ruins.

Inside that ruined building, a woman was quietly hiding.

“Lady Emily…?”

“Be quiet. I’m thinking.”

Inside the ruined building, a woman was quietly hiding.

Amelia Rainwales stared out the window. Even without looking at him, the man beside her seemed to read her thoughts from her expression alone.

“Even for you, Lady Emily, this is impossible in your current state. I won’t suggest retreating to the Imperial Capital or District 3, where it’s safe. But, at least until your injuries fully heal, wouldn’t it be better to lie low?”

Auyen’s voice was thick with concern, and he was genuinely sincere. Regardless of how others viewed his past as a plunderer, he considered Amelia and Bjorn his saviors. He couldn’t just stand by.

“Besides… you’re missing an arm right now.”

Auyen pressed harder.

Amelia had suffered a severe injury to her right arm during the Noarkans’ pursuit. It had not been completely severed, though in some ways that might have been preferable. The arm was torn apart, split straight down to the muscle and bone, and because of a particular essence she possessed, potions could not be used to heal it.

“The bleeding only just stopped. What are you planning to do with a body like that?”

Though he wasn’t literally clinging to her legs, Auyen’s tone and posture were no different from begging.

But—

“I told you, I am thinking.”

Amelia replied flatly, without batting an eye, which only made Auyen more anxious.

Because he knew her well.

When she said she was “thinking,” it didn’t mean she was deciding whether to act. She had already made her decision. She was only thinking about how to do it.

“If Captain Jandel knew what you’re doing right now, do you think he’d be happy?”

In the end, Auyen played his strongest card.

Only then did Amelia finally shift her gaze from the window to him.

She was merely looking at him, yet the pressure was overwhelming. Yet, despite his trembling, Auyen did not look away.

“Auyen Roklov. You’re crossing a line.”

“I don’t have a choice. To bring back someone who’s already crossed the line, I have to cross one too.”

He declared his unwavering will, which remained unfazed by the cold fury that threatened to extinguish it. Finally, Amelia gave in with a resigned sigh. Then, in a gentler voice than before, she spoke.

“I know it’s dangerous. But this is unavoidable.”

“Why is it unavoidable?”

“…Because I don’t want Aynar Pheneline to die.”

In a way, this was the root of all their problems.

After being captured, Aynar was transported along the street where the two of them were hiding. Following the convoy in secret, they confirmed she was taken into the bank.

“Why do you assume she will die? If they captured her alive, they clearly don’t intend to kill her right away. They surely intend to use her as a bargaining chip against the royal family or the captain.”

“Yes, that could be the case.”

“Exactly. So for now—”

“But what if it isn’t?”

Amelia cut him off.

“What if I wait, thinking it’s not the time yet, and Aynar Phenline loses her life in there?”

“Even if that happens… it wouldn’t be your fault, Lady Emily.”

It wasn’t a hollow consolation. Yet, as he spoke, Auyen instinctively avoided her eyes. Amelia chuckled softly.

Seeing that, Amelia gave a small, bitter smile.

“You don’t need to say that. It’s not wrong, really.”

In the past, Amelia had lived by that very logic. She survived by any means necessary, regardless of the cost.

“…Yes? Ah! Then…!”

“Enough.”

Amelia brought the conversation to an end. Communication had never been her strength, and she doubted she could convince him with words alone even if she tried. In truth, she did not even know where to begin explaining her position.

“I’ll be back safely. Stay hidden here.”

Her final words were not a request but an order, and Auyen no longer attempted to oppose her.

“Yes. Please be careful…”

Amelia didn’t reply.

In an instant, she vanished from his sight, leaving him alone. In the silence of the empty third-floor office, Auyen approached the window and watched the bank’s entrance. No matter how hard he stared, there was no sign of Amelia.

It was hardly surprising. There was no chance she would simply walk through the front door, and even if she did, she was so stealthy that he would never have noticed her.

“…Please come back safely.”

 

Though he wasn’t religious, he closed his eyes and prayed. Afterward, he kept a vigilant watch on the bank, in case something went wrong.

After some time had passed, a sudden voice startled him from behind.

“Huh? There really is someone here.”

“I told you. I detected a life force.”

Auyen, who had been focused on the window, spun around in shock at the voices behind him.

Thwack!

A blunt weapon slammed into his forehead, and he collapsed to the floor. As his consciousness faded, he heard the Noark soldiers talking.

“Who is this guy?”

“Isn’t he one of those Jandel companions who got scattered?”

“I doubt it. Look at him—knocked out with one hit. He can’t be one of them.”

“Well, maybe he’s just a civilian hiding in District 4, or a teleported explorer. I heard there were hundreds of barbarians and several small clans mixed in.”

“Hmm, I guess he’s one of those.”

At least they hadn’t realized he was a member of the Anabada Clan. However, that didn’t mean he had a way out.

“So, what do we do?”

“What’s there to think about? Same as always. Send him to headquarters. They’re short on fuel for the magitech weapons anyway.”

“Ugh, but it’s a long way from here to HQ.”

“They’ll still pay us. This guy looks like he’s consumed a few Essences, so it’ll be some pocket change.”

“All right, all right. Let’s do it. I doubt we’ll find anything else around here either.”

The man suddenly stopped talking.

“What? You were still awake?”

Crack!

That was Auyen Auyen Roklov’s last memory.

***

Greed Brings Ruin

Auyen Roklov had always agreed with that saying.

If anything, the reason he’d survived this long was because he’d never once given in to greed.

“Next.”

He gave up the greed of wanting to be a “cool” explorer. So he learned navigation.

“Next.”

Though he had joined a vicious clan and was treated like a slave, he was grateful just to be alive and didn’t harbor any rebellious thoughts.

“Next.”

It was the same when he was taken in by that barbarian. Even when he was confined underground without sunlight, he was content simply to be alive and never dreamed of escaping.

“Next.”

Because he kept his temper in check, they slowly began to accept him, and in doing so, they saved him. He endured his share of humiliation, being called Rockrock or Nguyen and the like, but that did not matter. Each time they ate the food he made, each time they praised him for doing his job well and fulfilling his duty, he felt something inside him begin to fill, a well he had believed would stay dry forever.

He felt more like an odd-job employee than a true ally of Jandel, but still…

“Next.”

Were heroes really that perfect?

“Next.”

Yeah, every group needs someone like him. He was definitely helping them on their journey, so he lived even more diligently. When he went shopping, he studied cookbooks, became skilled at handling horses, and continued his navigation studies so he could be useful, on the slim chance that the Anabada Clan ever operated on the sixth floor or needed to sail again.

Perhaps he had momentarily forgotten.

“Next.”

Greed invites disaster. Just because a snake lives beside a dragon doesn’t mean it becomes one.

Right, so…

This must be fate…

He accepted his situation as inevitable.

Wasn’t it obvious?

He was nothing but dead weight.

He’d followed them without knowing his place.

This ending was only natural.

“Didn’t you hear me say ‘Next’?”

A soldier in armor grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him forward. At the end of the path stood a massive mechanical device. It was crude and simple in structure, a pillar-like shape descending into the ground, into which people were being shoved indiscriminately.

So this is how I die…

For a man who had spent his life suppressing his desires, submission was as natural as breathing. He didn’t even think of resisting. He might take down one or two… but then what? He would only face torture and a more gruesome death. Falling into that hole seemed like a cleaner end.

“Wait, stop.”

Just as his head was about to be thrust into the bottomless pit, someone approached and granted him a brief reprieve. The one who halted the execution was a man dressed in a knight’s uniform. He stepped forward, lifted Auyen’s chin even as his neck was still restrained from behind, and gave a small nod to himself.

“Now that I look again, I’m certain. Auyen Roklov
. He may not look like much, but he is a member of the Anabada Clan.”

“Is… is that true, sir?”

“I don’t know where you found him, but I’ll take custody from here. His Lordship will decide his fate personally.”

He was led away by the knights. When he came to, a middle-aged man with an ominous presence was staring down at him.

He recognized him instantly.

“I’ve brought the one you mentioned, Your Excellency.”

“His hands are free?”

The marquis spoke curtly.

Almost hurriedly trying to justify his decision, the knight said, “Though he is allied with Jandel, he is only the group’s navigator. His estimated combat ability is lower than that of an orc, so there is no need for concern, my lord.”

The Marquis seemed satisfied and didn’t press further. Auyen’s mind went blank for a moment, but he quickly realized the truth.

‘They don’t know.’

It made sense. Even if the Royal Family knew Bjorn had obtained that Essence, they would never imagine he had given it to someone like Auyen. And since he never had a reason to use it, the information wouldn’t have leaked.

Right, so…

“Uh… uh…”

‘This might be an opportunity.’

“Speak if you wish to live.”

He didn’t think long.

It was a shocking experience.

Even when buying eggs, he’d always carefully compared them.

But this time, not a single doubt crossed his mind.

“How valuable are you to Bjorn Anell?”

The moment the marquis finished speaking—

Auyen activated his ability.

It was impossible to block and possessed impressive destructive power. It required little soul power, had a short cooldown, and was a skill Jandel had once praised.

The unique essence of the Rank 3 monster, Bellarios.

[Auyen Rocklov has cast [Shatter]

The power surged outwards through his hand.

Then—

The instigator of this civil war.

The former chancellor of Raphdonia, Marquis Tercerion.

He was a man Auyen would never have imagined encountering under normal circumstances. Now he was an enemy for the ages—a traitor the entire city wanted dead. And now he lay collapsed, blood spilling from his lips.

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