1.
Contrary to Nahan’s worries, the past few days had been a stretch of peaceful days.
“Your Majesty. It’s time for training now.”
“Hmm. Has it already come to that?”
Reina’s days were more routine than expected, and all her remaining time was spent at the training grounds.
“Come forth, Yellow Dragon.”
“Please forgive my discourtesy.”
BOOM!
Before long, Nahan had focused on regaining his combat instincts, which had dulled from being a mere escort.
“You left an opening below!!”
“I left it open on purpose.”
Clang!
Reina’s blade came flying toward his legs, but Nahan stomped it down and swung his greatsword in a near-supernatural counter.
“Your neck is wide open?”
“Guh!!”
Whoosh!
As Yellow Dragon’s greatsword came flying in, the Minister of Defense, watching from the sidelines, urgently shouted:
“E-End!!”
CRACK!
Their Auras collided, sending a powerful shockwave rippling across the massive training ground.
The greatsword halted just before Reina’s neck. Her rapier stopped right before Yellow Dragon’s heart.
Reina threw down her rapier and muttered in a sharp voice.
“Tch, it still doesn’t feel right in my hand.”
“52 wins, 0 losses, 0 draws.”
“Shut that mouth!! I told you this was a spar to test weapons!!”
“52 wins, 0 losses, 0 draws.”
“Grrrr…!!”
As their faces got close enough to nearly touch, the people around them averted their eyes, pretending not to notice the hushed whispers exchanged between the two.
Noticing this, Yellow Dragon—no, Nahan—leaned in and whispered even more quietly.
“Please, that thing… again today.”
“Grr…! Damn it…!”
Reina’s face flushed red in an instant.
“Do you hate it?”
“F-Fine, I’ll do it…!!”
Grumbling at Nahan’s pestering, she pulled a leather flask from her waist and brought it to her lips.
Gulp, gulp, guulp.
The whiskey she couldn’t swallow in time dribbled down her pale neck.
At the same time, her pupils loosened slightly.
Reina, now drunk, spun around and wrapped both arms around Nahan’s neck.
“Did you enjoy our spar?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Then let us head to my chambers now.”
Was it the alcohol?
The way Reina acted no longer resembled her usual awkward self—there was a glimpse of the tyrant-like aspect of Lactea.
‘Her acting keeps improving.’
Nahan gave a faint smile inside his helmet and barely whispered loud enough for only her to hear.
“Your Majesty… there are many eyes watching us.”
“What, shall I pluck them all out? Is that what it takes for you to roll in bed with Me again like last night?”
“Your Majesty…! At the very least, please refrain from drinking…!”
“Silence, you!!”
Reina’s voice erupted with fury.
“I’ve spent my whole life trying to read the room!! And what good has that done me?! Whether I do this or that, people complain either way! So can’t I just try to live freely for once?!”
“But…!!”
“Ohh? So that’s what you were watching? Not me—but that guy over there?”
Shouting again, she staggered toward the Minister of Defense.
“How does it feel, Minister of Defense? Standing taller than the Empress in the palace?”
“…How could you say such a thing, Your Majesty?”
“Pfft! You sly fox of a man. Do you really think I don’t know you serve Duke Halorand?”
The Minister of Defense’s eyes widened slightly, but he held his ground and quietly asked, just loud enough not to be overheard by the servants.
“If you know, why do you tolerate it?”
The air froze in an instant.
Reina glared sharply at him and said curtly.
“Why? Because even knowing, I can do nothing about it—and that’s frustrating.”
“What a pitiful way to live.”
“But what can I do? If I want to live, all I can do is grovel like this. Ah, be sure to tell Halorand this. I’m sooo grateful he let me live.”
As Reina’s lips curled into a sneer, the Minister of Defense kept a straight face.
“…If you’ll excuse me.”
Yellow Dragon—Nahan—who had approached unnoticed, gently wrapped his arm around Reina’s waist to support her.
“Her Majesty seems quite inebriated. I’ll take my leave now.”
The Minister of Defense, intrigued by Yellow Dragon’s respectful demeanor, asked.
“You’re said to be the strongest, Yellow Dragon. And yet you seek my permission while serving Her Majesty?”
“Of course. I serve Her Majesty the Empress. But you, Minister of Defense, serve Duke Halorand.”
“…Ho?”
“Then, I beg your pardon.”
After paying the utmost courtesy, Yellow Dragon turned with Reina, now completely drunk and leaning against him.
Creak…
Thud!
No sooner had the Empress left the indoor training grounds than all the surrounding servants fell to their knees.
“What do you think?”
At the minister’s question, one of the nearby attendants replied in a dry tone.
“It’s not an act.”
“Reason?”
“Flushed face, quickened heartbeat, but most of all, the eyes. No matter how high one’s level as a Sword Master, even they cannot fake their gaze. Or rather—they can act, but they can’t fool us. High probability it’s the truth.”
The Nameless, the assassination unit directly under Duke Halorand.
Specialized in assassination, infiltration, and covert operations—their analysis was clear: Reina’s behavior was genuine.
The Minister of Defense knew it too. He nodded slightly and muttered.
“So after all that desperate struggling from the moment she ascended the throne… she’s finally collapsed.”
It was expected.
And not part of his own calculations—Duke Halorand’s. Which meant it was certainly accurate.
“Inform Duke Halorand. The time he’s been waiting for has come.”
“Understood.”
Whoosh.
Before the minister’s words even finished, one of the attendants vanished.
“At last, it’s time for that man to sit upon the seat of the sun… it certainly took long enough.”
“…That’s classified.”
“Who else is here but us?”
“That’s the Duke’s order. One more slip of the tongue, and you’ll lose your head.”
Pressed by the members of Nameless, the Minister of Defense gave a dry chuckle and waved his hand.
“Tsk, fine. Call off the killing intent. I’ll go home and quietly celebrate alone.”
Just as the Nameless pulled back their murderous aura and the minister turned to leave—
“Ah, right. That Yellow Dragon fellow—he seems like he wants to stand on our side, doesn’t he?”
“He was forcibly employed by the Empress, wins every sparring match, respectfully seeks your permission despite serving Her Majesty, and mumbles about wanting to be employed by Duke Halorand when walking alone. High probability it’s true.”
“Hmm… so that’s how it is. Neither of them are pretending, then?”
“If their behavior is acting, then all of Nameless will take our own lives.”
“Hah, I suppose that’s impossible then.”
With a sinister smile, the Minister of Defense turned away.
“Can I speak to that one privately, the day before the operation in three days? He’s too talented to simply kill off.”
“You’ll need to ask Duke Halorand.”
“Ah, right. I will.”
Creeaak…
Thud.
The day’s sparring session had ended.
.
.
.
“If they confessed it was all acting, would they die on their own? Anyway—see? I told you that Minister of Defense was shady.”
“…So even the Minister has turned.”
“Don’t sound so disappointed, as if you didn’t know. That man’s got ‘traitor face’ written all over him. Whatever, just write him down clearly on the purge list. And keep playing the drunk Empress.”
“I am, hic, not acting drunk, hic. I am actually drunk, hic.”
“Ugh, just don’t throw up like last time.”
Anyway—
【Bad Ending 11 – <The Hidden Mastermind – Duke Halorand> is accelerating.】
【Bad Ending 12 – <The Rise of Eclipse> is accelerating.】
At last, a thread had been uncovered.
‘He said three days later… I should probably deal with Peter tomorrow or the day after.’
Once Duke Halorand’s true intentions and the hidden <Eclipse> reveal themselves, adding Peter to the mess would be too much of a headache.
So then—
“Huhhh…? Why are there two of you…?”
“…Let’s take it easy today.”
To ensure everything went smoothly—
“Hngh, you must… take responsibility and marry meeeaaah…!!”
“Alright, alright, I got it.”
“Fufu, you say you got it, hic, then so it shall beeee…”
With the thoroughly drunk Empress clinging to him, and Yellow Dragon helplessly dragging her along, they entered the Empress’s chambers.
“Thank you for your efforts, Lord Yellow Dragon.”
“Yeah, sure. Same as always—please apply the soundproofing spell. Maximum strength.”
“…Yes.”
It was an early evening, like any other.
2.
A request posted on the Mercenary Alliance board.
【Request Notice】
– Will buy information on vile and despicable ‘trash’ for a high price.
– The more wicked they are, the higher the reward.
– Buyer: Saint of the Back Alley.
At first, everyone was skeptical, but now the request had become a pocket-money earner for every mercenary.
One such mercenary, on his way to sell information on “trash,” gave a short laugh and muttered.
“The Saint of the Back Alley? No matter how much they pay, that’s a bit over the top, isn’t it?”
Saint.
A title for one who has reached the pinnacle of faith and attained enlightenment—a name so lofty that even the Pope of the Church of Light would struggle to claim it.
So the mercenary’s sarcastic muttering wasn’t exactly unjustified.
“Over the top? It’s not even enough. That person—you know, they say he reformed all the trash we bring him.”
“Reform!? Those trash?”
A few days ago, the man had suddenly appeared in the back alleys and began reforming countless “trash”—in other words, criminals.
He was the true saint.
“He captured vicious criminals no one could even find, let alone touch, and reformed them? Do you expect me to believe that?”
“If you’re that doubtful, just see for yourself.”
Rustle.
The other mercenary with him pulled back the flap of a rundown tent, revealing the inside.
A man who looked like a receptionist, and behind him, a single tightly closed door.
“Take a look.”
“Take a look at what?”
“The receptionist’s face. Doesn’t it look familiar?”
His eyes followed the direction of the man’s pointing finger.
The moment he saw the smiling face, the mercenary collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
“T-The serial killer Rick…!!”
Rick the Blade – an A-rank serial killer.
Even the capital’s security forces had given up chasing him. And yet here he was, sitting quietly at the reception desk of the Saint of the Back Alley, with a gentle smile.
“What are you doing!! We need to run, now!!”
“There’s no need for that.”
“What!? You’ve finally lost your mind!? We’re just D-rank mercenaries──”
“Look closely.”
Only then did he truly notice Rick’s state.
“Ah… I apologize.”
The moment Rick saw the mercenary react in fear, he had gripped his butcher’s knife in reverse—and tears began to flow down his face.
“Ah…”
“I… I’m sorry for committing crimes that made you afraid…”
And then—
Shluk!
Rick plunged the knife into his own heart.
“Urgh… sorry…, ugh, so… sorry…”
His pupils clouded over in an instant.
Only after Rick completely stopped breathing did the once-closed door open, and someone walked out.
The man gently held Rick’s hand and murmured in a sorrowful voice:
“Even in death, may your regret be eternal.”
The mercenary who had been accompanying them folded his hands in prayer and whispered sincerely to the stunned one.
“That’s him.”
“…What?”
“Questions later. First, let’s pray.”
“Wha…? I’m not religious──”
【No. 1 <Peter (SSS+)> activates – <Faith Harvest (SSS+)>】
【Harvest Rate: …98%】
“Ah… right, I should pray.”
After finishing his prayer, Peter looked at the dazed, bowing mercenary and murmured softly:
“…Tomorrow night, Ria.”
And then, she responded to Peter.
[What I believe in is the goodness in your heart.]
And thus, what Peter gained was—
“…Ria.”
A short, dreamless sleep.
A night without nightmares.
