Before the possession.
With no place to stay, I wandered the streets and eventually drifted into a thug’s hideout.
Before I met my friend, I lived there as if I were one of them, and after a year of that life, I realized one thing.
– Hey, Nahan. You were in on it too, right?
– No. I was just standing there.
– What?
– You guys were the ones who wrecked the shop. I was just standing still.
I had to take care of my own body.
Of course,
– This bastard is funny, huh? Hey, this time you carry the blame and go in, alright? We’ll make sure your prison account is loaded.
– No thanks. I don’t want a red mark on my record.
– What? You don’t wanna live with us anymore?
– Nope. I just want to stay here until I become an adult and then quietly leave.
– Bring the bat. Make him kneel.
– Yes, sir.
As you can see, it wasn’t smooth sailing, but the lesser evil was always better than the worst.
And that remains true even now.
“You have two eyes, so let’s crush one? How can you even say something like that?”
“Wait, that was you—!!”
“I only asked you to show me your t*rture skills, not gouge out someone’s eye. Dalan, I didn’t take you for such a terrifying person.”
“Hah… What kind of bullsh*t is this…?”
Judging by his identification badge, he seemed to be one of the Empress’s most secret confidants.
If I got tangled up in this mess and was taken in, I wouldn’t last three days.
And if that happened, then <Black Wolf> would go on a rampage, and if the <Hero Party> returned in the middle of that?
‘That would be complete disaster.’
If <Black Wolf> dies, I die. And if I, <Black Wolf> and <Yellow Dragon>, die, then there’s no one left to protect the Empress from <Eclipse>.
So…
“I’m innocent, so I’ll be going now.”
Sorry, Dalan.
If I hesitated, I might get slapped with a terrifying charge like conspiracy or instigation. Just as I hurried to leave, the man grabbed my arm.
“There was no incident, was there?”
“Hmm?”
“I simply came to have a conversation with <Yellow Dragon>, and nothing happened, correct?”
His eyes shone with a startling clarity, making me realize his intent. I asked one last thing.
“You’ve got a pretty bad bruise on your eye.”
“I fell on my own.”
“… I see.”
“Yes. I appreciate your concern, but isn’t there something more urgent right now?”
He was saying that he’d erase what just happened, so I should at least hear him out.
Despite his cunning appearance, he was a man of great caliber and integrity.
“If you insist that much, I suppose I can listen. Go ahead.”
Once I fully let my guard down and nodded, he handed me his identification badge again.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Amela, the captain of <Black Spot>, a knight order secretly founded by Her Majesty.”
“Amela? With that face, you’re Amela?”
“…Huh?”
“Oh.”
I had just blurted out a very <Yellow Dragon>-like remark, so I quickly added with more decorum.
“Ah, no, my apologies. It’s just… your name is quite… beautiful.”
“Heh, I understand. It sounds like something out of a child’s doll play, doesn’t it? But since Her Majesty bestowed this name upon me, I take pride in it.”
“… You must have had a rough time.”
“Not at all. I’m truly satisfied.”
Amela smiled sincerely, but soon his expression hardened again.
“Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, Her Majesty has decided to completely revoke the <Designated Request> she had assigned to <Yellow Dragon>.”
“The designated request?”
“That’s right. By tomorrow, a compensation fee will be delivered to the Mercenary Alliance, so you may collect it then.”
I was saved.
‘She was going to cancel it anyway, but she’s even compensating me?’
I wanted to cheer, but I held back and instead asked seriously.
“Why?”
“…That’s because.”
Amela glanced around before stepping closer and whispering cautiously.
“Her Majesty personally observed the recent incident.”
Observed?
‘The central plaza is close to the Imperial Palace, but it’s not open enough to be visible from there…?’
As I pondered how she had watched the scene, Amela added more details.
“So, the alert level for <Black Wolf> and his subordinates has been raised to the final stage. A dedicated response team is being assembled accordingly.”
“A response team?”
“That… that is…”
Amela trailed off and pulled something from his coat.
A golden envelope.
Stamped in the center with the imperial seal.
A designated request letter.
“Couldn’t you just tell me verbally?”
“My apologies. This is confidential information that only <Yellow Dragon> may know…”
Amela glanced at Dalan nervously, so I nodded and opened the letter.
Rustle.
Unlike the previous designated request, this one was printed on pristine, high-quality white paper.
As I read the contents, I found myself asking instinctively.
“Is this really true?”
“…Yes.”
The bolded text on the letter read.
『The combat strength of <Black Wolf> and his subordinates has far exceeded expectations. Assist the <1st Imperial Legion> in exterminating <Black Wolf> and his forces.』
This was the very first event that had caused the <Hero Party> to retreat in the original work.
If things proceeded as they did in the <original story>, then <Black Wolf> and the <1st Imperial Legion> would clash within a week.
The result?
A complete victory for <Black Wolf>.
During this battle, heavy casualties would be inevitable. Among the dead would be the family of one of the Hero Party’s Guardians.
The growing perception of the Empress’s incompetence.
The death of the Guardian’s kin.
The media manipulation by <Eclipse>.
These three factors would push the <Hero Party> to retreat.
They would abandon the Empress and align with <Eclipse>, leading to direct confrontation with <Black Wolf>.
The outcome?
『Kill them all, kill the Empress too, screw it, just kill everyone and end the story.』
A bad ending.
‘Stay sharp and think this through.’
Having the story follow the original wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
If events unfolded as in <Babylonia Full Content>, I could use my knowledge of it.
…But.
‘Does that mean I should just let this massacre happen?’
It wouldn’t be just the Guardian’s family dying in the clash between the Legion and <Black Wolf>.
The battle would be so brutal that a grand-scale joint memorial service would be held afterward.
『Of the 83,612 troops deployed, 34,207 perished.』
That was just a statistic on paper.
But if this world was truly real…
‘…I have to stop this.’
It wasn’t that I was a particularly selfless person, nor was I suddenly afflicted with a hero complex.
But if I knew what was about to happen and had the power to prevent it…
‘I have to stop it.’
That was all there was to it.
“…Sir Yellow Dragon?”
I lifted my head, meeting Amela’s gaze as I considered alternative solutions.
“When is the operation set to begin?”
“Six days from now.”
Six days. As expected, the time frame was tight.
“I accept. Now, leave.”
“Huh? Already? If you’ve accepted, you’ll need a more detailed briefing—”
“I just had a brawl with some thugs, and I’m exhausted. I’ll contact you soon.”
“Ah… My apologies for keeping you so long. I’ll take my leave for today. For future communication, please reach out through the Mercenary Alliance’s branch manager.”
“Got it.”
“Then, farewell.”
Was it the Sun’s Blessing?
“…That’s really <Yellow Dragon>, right?”
“…Shhh! He’s speaking!”
“…And who’s that in front of him? Looks like a villain. Isn’t he one of <Black Wolf>’s subordinates?”
Even in this secluded alley, people were starting to appear. Sensing the gazes, Amela hurriedly turned and disappeared into an even narrower alleyway.
Only then did Dalan, who had been keeping to the shadows, step forward with a grin.
“I thought he was just some thug, but he’s a much more decent guy than I expected.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
<Eclipse> was an organization that had spread across the entire empire yet rarely revealed itself.
On the surface…
No, even after speaking with him, he seemed like a decent man. But I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.
“Anyway, let’s get going.”
“Already? Come on, let’s head over there instead. Those guys would do anything if we let today slide. We could pick anyone and get free drinks.”
“No. There’s something I need to do.”
“Something you need to do?”
Dalan tilted his head, genuinely puzzled. I whispered to him in a low voice.
“A kidnapping.”
“…What!?”
Dalan was about to exclaim but quickly muffled himself, whispering back just loud enough for me to hear.
“A kidnapping!? The security level is already heightened, and now this? What are you saying!?”
“What do you think I mean? Exactly that.”
“No, but… who!?”
As I mentioned earlier, the <Hero Party>’s decision to retreat was triggered by three key events.
The growing perception of the Empress’s incompetence.
The death of the Guardian’s kin.
The media manipulation by <Eclipse>.
These events were originally all caused by the clash between the <1st Imperial Legion> and <Black Wolf>.
‘But after today’s <Central Plaza> incident, two of these conditions have already been met.’
The growing perception of the Empress’s incompetence.
The media manipulation by <Eclipse>.
‘That leaves just one.’
The <Hero Party>.
The death of the Guardian’s kin.
I finished my thoughts and turned to Dalan with a smile, whispering.
“Call Ruby, Dalan. Tonight, we’re raiding Count Gardner’s estate.”
“…May I ask the target?”
“The Guardian’s younger sister, Hestia Gardner.”
This was not a command from <Yellow Dragon>.
It was a command from <Black Wolf>.
Dalan’s demeanor changed instantly.
With his usual calm smile, he bowed his head.
“Everything shall be as the Captain wishes.”
“There are too many eyes. Raise your head, Dalan.”
“Yes, Captain. Then before summoning Ruby, what should I do first?”
That was easy.
I answered in a serious tone.
“Book an inn.”
“…Pardon?”
“A clean one, with a soft bed.”
“…Understood, Captain.”
Alright, before night falls…
Let’s get some sleep.
2.
A few hours later.
At the heart of Count Gardner’s estate, located in the northern part of the capital’s upper district…
Chaos erupted in what was once a peaceful place.
“Bl-Black Wolf!!”
“Black Wolf and his subordinates are here!!”
“Protect Lady Hestia!!”
The reason?
A raid by none other than <Black Wolf>.
Just like in the <Central Plaza Incident> earlier that day, masked figures in black, adorned with wolf insignias, stormed the estate.
Though the Gardner County was slightly removed from the capital, rumors spread fast—and they were always exaggerated.
“They’re monsters who have slain hundreds!!”
“They devour people alive, protect your necks!!”
“Damn it, I said protect the lady first!!”
The terrified knights focused all their attention on the two intruders before them, failing to notice one shadow slipping away.
And because of that, the remaining shadow reached its intended destination.
The most heavily guarded—yet subtly overlooked—place in the Gardner Estate.
Where the younger sister of the Guardian of the <Hero Party>, Vulcan Gardner, resided.
Hestia Gardner.
The only sister of the Guardian.
Knock, Knock.
A quiet voice called out from the other side of her window.
“Apologies for the late-night disturbance, but may I come in for a moment?”
“…That is a window, not a door.”
“Well, a window is still a door, isn’t it?”
Into Hestia Gardner’s room.
