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I Became the Mastermind in a Dark Fantasy Chapter 3

Empress's Request

 

 

1.

 

Mercenary Alliance,
Branch Manager of the Babylonia Capital.

 

-Asking for a request?

 

A woman with a perpetually lofty demeanor, possessing both the skill and authority to match.

 

-Lady Red, please!!
-Get lost. What business does a B-rank wretch have giving orders?
-I-I’m sorry!! I didn’t know, as I’ve only worked near the Archipelago and this is my first time here!!

 

Even B-rank mercenary groups, which were fairly well-known near the capital, had to tread carefully to secure decent commissions.
I was no different.

 

-Lady Red, may I ask if there are any better commissions available?
-Just take what I give you.
-O-Of course, but I was hoping for something… lower.
-What…? Lower, not higher? That’s a D-rank commission.

 

Even though I was in a mercenary’s body, my brain was still the same!

 

-I’m afraid.
-?
-I don’t like fighting.

 

Since I moved covertly, avoiding the other members, I could only manage low-level E- or F-rank commissions.

 

Until now, ‘Ruby Red’ had been a figure who provided both work and pay—a figure I revered.

 

“Because of the captain, everything’s falling apart…!! We need those nobles to cover the cleanup costs for <Black Wolf>!”

 

And suddenly, she was calling me Captain.

 

“In that case, you have no choice but to take on that request that you previously declined!!”
“…That request?”

 

What could it be?

 

Feigning familiarity, I asked, and Ruby Red quickly nodded and added:

 

“It’s the mission directly assigned to the captain by His Imperial Majesty…!! You kept it a secret so the members wouldn’t freak out, remember?”

 

The Empress?
Could it be the one from <Babylonia>’s spoilers?

 

‘They’re about to slice the Empress’s neck at the buffet when some shady bastards (probably the masterminds) intervene. They kill those guys, the Empress, and then basically everyone. The end.’

 

Isn’t he the Empress about to lose his head?

I was too stunned to speak.

 

“Anyway, since the captain went overboard with the last commission, this is how it is now. You must take me along for this one, got it!?”

 

…Let’s stay calm.

 

Ruby Red might be testing me, suspecting that I’ve taken over this body.

 

-You, are you really Nahan?

 

She was as dangerous as Lactea, someone impossible to read.

 

‘Two things to confirm first.’

 

One: Is Ruby Red truly a member of the <Black Wolf> Mercenary Corps?

Two: If she is, why is she accusing me of botching a commission and making a scene?

 

Resolving to investigate, I mentally summoned the <Black Wolf> Mercenary Corps’ database.

 

<Black Wolf Mercenary Corps>

– Alias: Incompetent Mercenary Corps (Temporary), Trash Heap (Temporary), Mercenary Kindergarten (Temporary)

– Rank: D (Temporary)

– Members:

Captain: <Nahan – ???>

Vice-Captain: <Lactea – White Blade Ghost>

No.1: <???>

No.2: <???>

No.3: <Han-Ryang – Tal>

No.4: <Luna – Persona>

No.5: <???>

No.6: <Ruby Red – ???> (New!)

 

Ruby Red’s name had appeared where there had previously been a blank.

The system doesn’t lie, so she’s genuinely a member of <Black Wolf>.

 

Next step.

 

“Before we proceed, explain. What do you mean by botching the request? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“W-What!?”

 

Establishing dominance and testing her intentions.

 

As I said earlier, while my body is a mercenary’s, my mind remains the same.

Since childhood, I’ve relied on reading others to survive. Concealing myself and extracting information is second nature.

 

“Rather, I’d like to ask you: why assign such a mission to me?”
“But Captain…!!”
“Foolishness has limits. Giving an A-rank commission to a D-rank group like <Black Wolf>? Preposterous.”
“Well, that’s…!!”
“Enough. I don’t want to hear it.”

 

I rose from my seat and slowly approached Ruby Red.

 

<Nahan>, the mercenary captain of <Black Wolf> that I possessed, was a man who gave off an indescribable, oppressive aura.

 

He may be an incompetent mercenary captain on the outside, but at least inside <Black Wolf>.

 

“I assigned the vice-captain to handle it, and the commission was on the verge of cancellation.”
“C-Captain, w-wait…!!”
“Silence. Answer my question first. Why are you causing a scene here?”

 

Nahan commanded charisma that instilled fear in his subordinates.

 

“Ruby Red. Must I be disappointed with you again before you speak?”

 

Thud.

 

Before I knew it, Ruby Red had backed against the wall, lowering her gaze hurriedly.

 

“…I’m sorry, Captain.”

 

Good.

 

As I expected, Ruby Red, like the others, had shrunk in fear of Nahan.

 

‘…What the hell did this guy do to make them all so terrified?’

 

Pushing that thought aside, I stepped back and regarded the trembling Ruby Red.

 

“Anything else to say?”
“No, Captain.”

 

Excellent.
The situation is settled. If I handle the wrap-up properly—

 

“Thank you for everything.”
“Hmm?”

 

Suddenly.

 

Schling.

 

Ruby Red drew a dagger, its shape painfully familiar, from her coat.

 

“Don’t worry; I’ve prepared a will in advance. I’ve arranged for Peter to take over my responsibilities once I’m gone.”

“…Peter?”

“He’s currently infiltrating the Church but will come running the moment the Captain needs him.”

 

Ruby Red’s expression shifted back to the icy demeanor of a branch manager as she coldly declared.

“I will atone for my sins against the captain with my life.”

 

A familiar refrain.

 

‘I was afraid this might happen! She’s doing it too!’

 

Panicked, I quickly grabbed Ruby Red’s wrist as she attempted to end her life.

 

“…Captain?”

 

There it was again.

 

The members of <Black Wolf> always acted this way. If I pressed them even slightly, they tried to kill themselves. Though they normally followed me without question, whenever I intervened to stop them from taking their own lives,

 

“…?”

 

They would send me suspicious glances—like now.

 

As if they were convinced the real <Nahan> would never have stopped them.

 

Even though they were mere D-rank mercenaries, to someone like me, who had lived an ordinary life, they were as terrifying as monsters.

At times like these, I genuinely thought they might kill me.

 

“You should at least give people a chance to make amends. Recruiting new members is such a hassle.”
“…!”

 

With just that half-hearted excuse.

 

“Th-thank you, Captain!! I swear I won’t disappoint you with this new lease on life!!”

 

She fell prostrate, swearing allegiance once more, as though she had never doubted me.
Leaving <Black Wolf> seemed far more dangerous than staying with them.

 

With the immediate crisis resolved, I extended my hand to Ruby Red.

 

“Alright, get up.”
“Huh? Y-Yes, Captain!!”

 

After helping her to her feet, I pondered for a moment before speaking.

 

“Now that we’re at this point, how about we have that talk we’ve been avoiding?”
“Yes, Captain! I’ll answer anything!”
“Good. You’d better. First…”

 

After ensuring no other members were around, I lowered my voice to a whisper.

 

“I want to hear more about that commission the Empress assigned to me.”
“Oh! Now that I think about it, you were with the vice-captain when I first mentioned it.”

 

Considering that averting all bad endings—and saving both the <Empress> and the <Hero>—was part of my objectives, gathering information was the logical first step.

 

‘Of course, I’ll refuse after hearing it.’

 

My sole goal was to survive until every bad ending was averted.

Unlike protagonists in other novels, I had no intention of fixing every problem in this world.

 

But then:

 

“The original request from His Imperial Majesty was a single task: to assassinate the Golden Merchant, Viscount Gapelt.”

 

As Ruby Red quietly revealed this, she handed me a black commission form.

 

The moment I touched it, a deep blue system window emerged, glowing with an eerie light.

 

Subquest Activated!

 

Bloodstained Gold
: Assassinate <Golden Merchant – Viscount Gapelt> and secure the Empress’s secret funds!

 

Conditions
: Take only one <Black Wolf> member.
: Rescue the <Nun> trapped in the underground chamber before she succumbs to <Corruption>.
: Complete all objectives before dawn tomorrow.

 

Reward
: Receive the full content of <Babylonia> as the Savior – <Nahan>.

 

Failure or Refusal
: Trigger bad ending <4. Corrupted>, resulting in the annihilation of the Savior – <Nahan>.

 

“…”
“Captain?”
“…I’m thinking.”
“My apologies.”

 

I had no choice but to accept the commission Ruby Red handed me.

 

‘By dawn tomorrow…’

 

After assessing the situation, I grabbed Ruby Red’s hand and stood.

 

“Let’s go.”
“R-right now!?”
“We’ll handle this before dawn. Just the two of us, before the others find out.”
“…Understood. I’ll follow your lead.”

 

Right now, I was merely a C-rank mercenary—

An ordinary person who had spent their life in peaceful South Korea, now barely one month into this transmigration.

 

‘Can I pull this off?’

 

My hands were already trembling, and my heart was racing, but I forced myself to steady my resolve.

 

‘I have to do it. No matter what.’

 

Because failure meant death.

 

2.

 

Hours later, in the opulent, sprawling mansion that could rival that of a marquis or duke.

 

In the dim, oppressive underground chamber, a young girl knelt behind iron bars, her hands clasped as she wept.

 

“…Goddess of Light, Aria, why have you burdened me with such trials?”

 

She was a sinner from birth, destined to atone for her sins through her life.

 

“But to be cast into hell before I’ve even had a chance to repent… what am I supposed to do?”
“Hey, enough praying. Come out. Not like she’s listening anyway.”
“W-wait!!”

 

Her prayer was interrupted as the soldiers entered and dragged her out.

 

“You’re committing a grave sin!!”
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that. Now stop struggling and make this easy for us.”
“Ugh…! Let me go!!”
“You little—!”

 

Smack!

 

The soldier’s rough fist struck the girl, who crumpled to the ground, clutching her stomach.

 

“F*ck, why’s a girl who sold herself for money putting up such a fuss!?”
“I-I was promised… a maid’s job…!!”
“Sure, sure. Go complain to the viscount about it yourself. Bite me again, and I’ll knock your teeth out, so think carefully.”

 

Grabbing her like an object, the soldier hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her through the underground halls toward the light.

 

The girl thought bitterly.

 

That wasn’t the light of the goddess—it was the glint of Viscount Gapelt’s gold.

 

She had seen countless people lose their lives to that misguided light.

 

‘So I must never let myself break.’

 

Let’s somehow take the opportunity to escape from here, leave the Babylonian Empire with the people from the orphanage, and go into exile somewhere.

 

But the girl knew better.

 

“I hope the nun lasts a while. The viscount enjoys making a mess, and cleaning up the corpses is disgusting.”

 

The odds were slim.

 

Still, it was fine.

 

Even if she perished, at least the orphans would live peaceful lives.

 

So please, let them remain unaware.

 

As she clasped her hands for one final prayer.

 

“Oh, right. Almost forgot. The viscount said to give you this before you meet him.”

 

Thud!

 

The soldier roughly dropped her to the ground and pulled something from his pocket.

 

A crude bracelet.
A half-burned handkerchief.
A bent symbol of Aria.

 

All of it was charred black.

 

“…Huh?”

 

As she took the items in trembling hands and looked up, the soldier grinned and added.

 

“The orphanage. We killed everyone and burned it down.”
“N-no…”
“Someone I know just started a mercenary corps. They’re pretty good at their job—what was it called again? Something like Black… Whatever. Anyway, they handled it perfectly.”

 

Clink.

 

The soldier pulled out the bracelet the orphanage director had worn and tossed it toward her.

 

“The viscount said to give it to you. He wants you to wear all this when you meet him.”

 

And with that.

 

“Aaaaaah…!!!”

 

Warning!
Due to the <Saint’s> Forced Awakening, Bad Ending – <4. Corrupted> has been triggered.

 

As the girl’s consciousness began to fade.

 

“Peek-a-boo.”

 

Fwoosh!

 

“Urgh…!!”

 

Hundreds of blood-red spears erupted from the soldier’s body as if tearing him apart from within.

 

Yet, he did not die.
Or rather—

 

“Pfft, look at this mess.”
“…!!”

 

—He couldn’t die.

 

“Want to live?”
“…!!”
“Sorry, no can do. Haha!”

 

As the man froze, unable to even scream, a red-haired woman approached, her eyes gleaming with madness as she covered her bloodstained mouth.

 

“Oh…? Do I know you? Pretty sure I’ve seen you with <Black Fang> before.”
“…!!?”
“Thought so! Great to see you again! I’m thrilled!”

 

The crimson-haired woman shook hands with her victim like he was an old friend, then straightened up, her smile as bright as ever.

 

“Oh right, my bad. Got carried away.”

 

She turned to wave at someone behind her, her face lighting up as if nothing had happened.

 

“Captain! I’ve got her!”

 

Emerging from the shadows was a man clad in black.

 

Jet-black hair, piercing dark eyes that gleamed with an eerie intensity, a face shadowed by quiet fury.

 

Even the girl, who had been overwhelmed with despair, instinctively trembled at his presence.

 

The soldier, now a living corpse, the laughing crimson-haired woman, the dim, suffocating underground chamber, and the man who seemed darker than all of it.

 

Despite her lifelong prayers to the Goddess of Light, salvation had come from the depths of darkness.

 

As lightless shadows began to bloom in her heart, the man, seamlessly blending into the horrific scene, muttered with a calm expression.

 

“…Safe.”

 

Barely avoided failing before it even began.

 

.

.

.

 

Subquest Activated!

 

Bloodstained Gold
: Assassinate <Golden Merchant – Viscount Gapelt> and secure the Empress’s secret funds!

 

Conditions
: Take only one <Black Wolf> member.
: Rescue the <Nun> trapped in the underground chamber before she succumbs to <Corruption> (Achieved!).
: Complete all objectives before dawn tomorrow.

 

Reward
: Receive the full content of <Babylonia> as the Savior – <Nahan>.

 

Failure or Refusal
: Trigger bad ending <4. Corrupted>, resulting in the annihilation of the Savior – <Nahan>.

 

.

.

 

The second condition has been fulfilled!

Due to the cancellation of the <Saint’s> Forced Awakening, Bad Ending – <4. Corrupted> has been prevented.

 

Congratulations!

Bad Ending – <4. Black Fang (A-)> has been prevented due to your choices!

Number of prevented bad endings: [4 / 15]

 

.

.

.

 

Next Bad Ending – <5. Tyrant’s Omen (A)> has been set as the main scenario.

 

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I Became the Mastermind in a Dark Fantasy

I Became the Mastermind in a Dark Fantasy

다크 판타지의 흑막 수장이 되었다
Score 8
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2025 Native Language: Korean
I didn’t know. “We killed all the trash just as the Captain wanted!” “He told us to take care of it, so we cleaned it all out.” “Order. Carried out─with utmost resolve.” I just thought they were a bit ... dim-witted. “Kyahaha, Captain, can I kill more!?” Not that they were S-rank monsters.

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