1.
The <Black Wolf>. That’s me.
The Yellow Dragon. That’s also me.
『Please capture <Black Wolf> and bring him to me』
Screw that.
No way.
‘What the hell am I supposed to do here?’
I have to capture myself?
– The request has been completed, Your Majesty.
– Excellent! Where is the <Black Wolf>?
– Yes, that would be me.
– Hmm?
– Yes?
– Hmm?
– Yes?
Can this situation even be considered reasonable?
‘On top of that, the <Black Wolf> is currently under a special wanted order.’
If I show up like this, as either the <Black Wolf> or the Yellow Dragon, I’ll definitely lose my head.
The only saving grace is that the <Designated Request> hasn’t been enforced yet.
If it were a critical condition to avoid a side quest failure or a bad ending, I’d have to resolve it by any means necessary.
【The next bad ending <6.???> is set in <7 days>. A grace period has been granted!】
Since the system wasn’t making a fuss yet, it seemed fine to fail or decline the request.
‘Let’s just reject it for now.’
Even though I appeared as the <Black Wolf>, I left some direct hints, so it should be fine.
“Ah, we’ve arrived, Yellow Dragon.”
“…Indeed.”
At the perfect timing to wrap up my thoughts, I arrived at the Mercenary Alliance branch.
There, stepping out of the barrier of the <Emerald Forest>, Dalan, who had been treating me as the <Yellow Dragon>, smirked mischievously.
“Time for a drink, isn’t it?”
“Rejecting the request comes first.”
“Ah, come on, you’re no fun. The branch manager won’t even arrive until noon. Are you just going to stand here like a statue for an hour?”
Dalan had a point.
Designated Requests.
These were high-security requests where the client directly designated a mercenary. Unlike regular commissions, they were much more secure and expensive.
If a designated mercenary declined such a request, only a branch manager or higher could handle the resulting paperwork.
“Well, not exactly. I overheard they’re investigating last night’s events. The manager might not even come today.”
This was due to the <Black Wolf>’s appearance early that morning.
“Is that true?”
“Don’t play dumb. Can’t you hear the rookies gossiping inside?”
No, old man, I can’t hear anything.
“Anyway, let’s just gather some intel on the first floor and head back.”
“You probably just want to drink.”
“Hey now, Yellow Dragon! What do you take me for? …Actually, fair enough.”
Following Dalan, I stopped at the Mercenary Alliance entrance, just as he had mentioned.
“So, was the <Black Wolf> behind the Sewer Rats, too?”
“Who knows? Anyway, I heard Ruby’s gone for an investigation. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
“Using Miss Ruby as a hostage… What kind of maniac are we dealing with?”
“Wait, hold on, Ruby isn’t coming today? I bought flowers for her!”
“Pfft! A B-rank loser like you should know your place. Sit down and drink!”
The name <Black Wolf> was being tossed around alongside talk of Ruby skipping work.
“What did you do?”
“What had to be done.”
“Ah, magnificent as always.”
Magnificent?
Every time I speak, I cringe inside.
“Anyway, let’s gather information and leave, just as you said.”
“Wait, hold on!!”
What’s going on now?
Clang!
Ignoring Dalan’s thumbs-up gesture, I swung the Mercenary Alliance door open.
“Y-Yellow Dragon!!”
“Holy crap! Move! Get out of the way! I’m getting his autograph this time!!”
“H-Honorable Yellow Dragon! I just accepted an A-rank request. Care to join me!?”
A horde of mercenaries surged toward me.
.
.
.
Passive: <Sun’s Blessing (Ex)>
◆ Effect
: You sparkle magnificently. Amazing. If someone who holds <respect> for <you> sees that sparkling light, they will fall under the status effect <Reverence>. The Blessing of the Sun is the greatest in the world!
.
.
.
Glittering eyes, arms linking mine without hesitation, trembling voices full of sweetness.
‘…So this is <Reverence>.’
For a moment, it felt like I was an idol. But that didn’t last long, as the crowd quickly turned chaotic.
“I got in line first!!”
“What’s with this D-rank pest raising his voice!? I even took off my pants first!”
“Wait, why are you taking off your pants!?”
“I need to get his autograph, don’t I!?”
This was complete pandemonium.
Just as I was being swept away, unsure what to do, Dalan sneaked up to me.
“See? This is why you shouldn’t have gone in first. You should’ve just stayed behind me as usual.”
Ah, right, this guy was here.
I subtly pushed away the approaching crowd and whispered into Dalan’s ear.
“Handle the situation.”
Because I feel like I’m about to die from exhaustion.
But Dalan didn’t move.
He hesitated for a moment, out of the crowd’s sight, then placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and asked back:
“Is that a request from the Sun? Or… an order from the Moon?”
In his eyes, a faint blue light shimmered—like a refreshing ocean or the depths of an abyss.
The moment I met his gaze, I understood.
‘Dalan really is a member of the <Black Wolf>.’
Until now, he’d acted like a lighthearted and friendly middle-aged man, so I’d only seen him as one of the Great Ten. But now that I’d issued a command, it was different.
If I answered that this wasn’t a request from the <Yellow Dragon>, but rather an order from the <Black Wolf>…
‘…He’d resolve the situation, even if it meant killing everyone here.’
Sensing the tension, I softened my voice, adopting the tone of the <Yellow Dragon>, and pleaded.
“Come on, Monstrous Dragon. Can’t you just help me out a bit? Isn’t that what friends are for?”
“…Fine.”
A brief standoff.
Then Dalan, who had been staring at me from behind his helmet, flashed his characteristic sly smile once again.
“Well, thanks to you, <Yellow Dragon>, the seat’s open, so I’ll go have a drink first.”
“Wait, isn’t that a bit much?”
“Haha, isn’t that what friends are for?”
Dalan turned, his ragged cloak fluttering as he walked away.
The gathered crowd would never know.
…Click.
That crazy man had actually drawn his sword, prepared to kill everyone here.
“Hey, kid! Two beers over here… no, wait. Since the <Yellow Dragon> is so popular, he’ll take his time settling in, so just bring me one for now!”
And just like that, he ordered his drink, grinning as if nothing had happened. Really, there’s no such thing as a normal person in the <Black Wolf>.
That aside—
“Just one autograph!! Please, please sign my underwear, <Yellow Dragon>!”
“Damn it, a rival. No wonder Talon smells so good today.”
“…Namgoong, how do you even know that?”
‘How do I get out of here?’
“Uh, everyone?”
After a moment of thought, I cautiously tried to address the crowd to resolve this with words.
“YEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!”
“The <Yellow Dragon> called me!!!!!”
“No, you idiot, he called ME!!!!”
“Namgoong, how do you even know that!!!”
It only made things more chaotic.
Whenever I opened my mouth, they cheered. Whenever I tried to slip away, they closed in like a tidal wave.
‘Should I just run for it?’
As I was about to turn and scout an escape route, someone suddenly burst in, pale-faced and covered in blood.
“This is bad! Something terrible has happened!!”
Clang!
“Stop right there.”
The staff, who just moments ago had been smiling kindly, immediately drew their weapons and aimed them at the man.
The mercenaries followed suit, their sharp gazes locked on him.
“…!!?”
Seeing the drawn blades, the man calmed himself and spoke to the staff.
“I—I’m Mud, an E-rank mercenary! Right now, in the middle of Central Plaza, some lunatics have appeared! They’re gathering people and executing captives one after another!!”
…What?
Executing people in the middle of Central Plaza, the heart of the Babylonia Empire?
‘What kind of lunatics?’
I was about to rush out to confirm for myself when—
Swoosh.
One of the staff members, dressed as a maid, checked Mud’s mercenary badge and lowered her axe.
“Continue.”
“Continue!? People are dying right now! Shouldn’t we be rushing to help? The Central Guard has already been annihilated!”
The man, ashen as his name, shouted desperately, but the staff asked in a detached tone.
“Is this a formal request?”
“…What?”
“A minimum fee of 1 gold. For F- to D-rank mercenaries, personal negotiations can lower it to silver.”
“F*ck, I’m telling you people are dying!!”
Frustrated, the man shouted again, scanning the <Mercenary Alliance> hall for volunteers.
“…”
“…”
“…”
All he got were cold or mildly interested stares. No one stepped forward.
It couldn’t be helped.
These were people staking their one and only life to make a living, surviving day to day.
Mercenaries of <Babylonia>, living constantly on the edge of death, didn’t have the luxury to be altruistic.
The higher their rank, the more insane they became. If they stayed in the middle, they’d eventually make a fatal mistake.
And if they lingered at the bottom, they’d succumb to hunger and the cold.
It was a grim, bitter reality—a dark fantasy world where survival meant embracing ruthlessness.
Realizing this again, my once-shaken resolve began to settle.
‘…Really, what could I even do?’
Let’s not kid ourselves.
I’m not the <Black Wolf> or the <Yellow Dragon>. I’m just an ordinary person.
Even with all the lucky breaks I’ve had, I’ve only become slightly stronger. Just slightly.
‘The <Central Guard>’s rank is B+.’’
And that’s the collective ranking—there must be several A-rank knights among them.
‘And they were all wiped out.’
I don’t know who these lunatics are, but one thing is certain—they’re just as strong as they are insane.
‘I’m just a person.’
Not even a person of this world, <Babylonia>, but a 25-year-old, ordinary young man from South Korea.
Of course, I feel sorry for the dying,
angry at the mercenaries for not stepping up,
and I want to rise to the occasion and solve everything like a hero.
‘But I’m scared.’
I have no idea how to stop it, and even if I come up with a plan, I don’t know if I can pull it off.
‘What matters most to me right now is the bad ending that starts a week from now.’
I need to stop the remaining ten disasters as quickly as possible and return to fulfill my friend’s dream.
After all, this is just a story in a book.
People only need to live their own lives well.
And maybe this isn’t even real.
So I resolved never to step in, only to act for my goals.
But then—
“They’re putting robes and masks on kids and making them kill people themselves!!”
This, I couldn’t ignore.
“Monstrous Dragon.”
It wasn’t the voice of the <Black Wolf> or the <Yellow Dragon>, just one full of rage.
“We’re resolving this now.”
“…Is that so.”
Hearing a voice that resembled the <Black Wolf> just enough, Dalan rose from his seat.
Scrape.
The sound of a chair dragging echoed, and a path naturally opened between Dalan and me. As he walked toward me, he asked:
“Is this a request from the Sun? Or a command from the Moon?”
A binary choice with polar opposite outcomes.
If I wanted to hide that I was the <Black Wolf>, I had to say it was the former. If I wanted his help, the latter.
Either choice would work depending on my goal, but stopping what was happening now—
“It’s something that should be done.”
I answered briefly and turned away, and Dalan murmured softly.
“You’re always just as you were at the beginning.”
“Then that’s good.”
At least the version of Nahan in this world isn’t some deranged murderer.
“So, shall I kill all of them?”
“Capture as many as possible. Kill them only if necessary.”
Pfft!
“Well, then I suppose I won’t be killing any.”
Dalan burst into laughter, casually running his hand along his weathered sword with a relaxed smile.
2.
Slowly.
“W-wait!! I’m serious! I just delivered a few pills, that’s all!!”
“Ugh, no wonder you reeked.”
“P-please spare me──!!”
Taking their time.
Slash.
A dagger flashed like a dance, and the screaming man’s head rolled to the ground.
A slender silhouette, seemingly a child, crouched and tapped the severed head while muttering.
“Hmm… This is more boring than I thought. Cleaning them all up at once was more fun before.”
“Prohibited. It is by the Captain’s hint—required.”
“Tal! How many times do I have to tell you not to nag me! Ugh, how long are we supposed to keep killing them one by one?”
“People. Must gather—more.”
“Really? Then we need more entertainment, right?”
Swish!
The girl’s eerie emerald eyes scanned the bound captives like they were trash.
“Found you. You’re next!”
“No! No, please!!”
“Yeah, no. I don’t like you either. Ugh, you’re not even fun to play with.”
Slash!
The air reeked of blood so thick it stung her nose, but she didn’t care.
“Whew. Who should I pick next?”
Once the cleanup was done, the person with the most fragrant scent in the world would return and hold her tight again, just like before.
…But you know what?
“That person smells really good.”
…Good enough to make me want to have them.
The woman sniffed the air as her gaze locked onto a figure approaching in gleaming golden armor.
3.
“…Dalan. Am I seeing this wrong?”
“That can’t be. Those are definitely our people. It’s so nice to see them after so long.”
“…Don’t wave at them.”
“Oh, my bad. Sorry, Captain.”
I’m seriously going to lose my mind.
