1.
Peter.
He always dreamed when he fell asleep.
The setting was always a back alley of some slum, the stench always fishy and nauseating.
Someone suddenly approached while he was eating, embraced Peter, and whispered softly.
—It’s okay. You’re not strange at all.
Really?
She said he was fine, but the gazes from over her shoulder denied those words.
—You crazy bastard!
—Blasphemous scum!
—Call the Inquisitor!
Furrowed brows.
The sound of retching.
Contemptuous stares.
He couldn’t quite understand what was going on, but one thing was certain.
—You people…
.
.
.
“You’re the ones who made me this way.”
CRACK!
With a horrifying rupture, the sinner caught by the Saint of the Back Alley was crushed.
It was a shattering that surpassed cognition.
“…!! Gaaaah…!!”
Just as the sinner was about to scream from the belated surge of agony, Peter’s chilling face leaned in close and asked.
“Does it hurt?”
The sinner—Fadel, an A+-rank arsonist known for burning people alive—instinctively realized.
‘If I nod, I’ll die.’
Even a scream, even showing pain, would get his head cut off right away.
So Fadel shook his head.
He forced a desperate smile, wiped away the tears and snot pouring down his face, and answered.
“I-I’m sorry…!!”
Fadel knew.
That was the only answer the world expected from people like him.
At those words, Peter briefly paused his harvest and asked as if he were genuinely curious.
“What are you so sorry for?”
“F-For burning people alive!! And running away afterward, I’m sorry!!”
“Hmmm…? And?”
“…What?”
“I asked, and?”
Seeing the terrifying gleam in Peter’s eyes, Fadel began spouting whatever came to mind.
“For killing people!! Oh, right!! A-Animals! I’m sorry for killing animals too!! For killing and stealing things, for stealing money, I’m sorry!! For spitting, for littering, for cursing at random people, I’m sorry!!! And also…!!”
Peter remained silent.
He just looked on with the same dry smile, not doing anything, merely watching Fadel’s endless confession.
The pitch-black saint didn’t move a muscle, and Fadel’s confessions gradually began to dwindle.
Until at last—
For some reason, even fear had disappeared, and Fadel gave his final answer.
“I’m sorry… for being born?”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why—you know too, don’t you?”
Expressionless, Fadel pointed back and forth between himself and the saint and said.
“Because we were always meant to be like this.”
Finally, the saint moved.
Placing both hands on Fadel’s shoulders, he smiled and replied.
“I believe in the goodness within you.”
“Bullshit. We both know there’s no such thing.”
“Knew it.”
STAB!
Fadel’s heart was pierced in an instant.
Looking down at his pulsating heart, he muttered nonchalantly.
“Tsks… Should’ve… begged… better…”
Thud.
Fadel died.
The saint—Peter—killed him.
That was all there was to it.
【No. 1 <Peter (SSS+)> activates <Faith Harvest (SSS+)>】
【Harvest Rate: …100%】
【Attempting to release seal.】
【Essence – <Evil> awakens.】
Peter raised his head.
—It’s okay. You’re not strange at all.
That had been true—until he killed Fadel.
Not born evil.
Not especially calculating.
Not lacking emotion.
Because the two were alike, until Fadel died, Peter wasn’t strange.
But he killed Fadel.
And so, the Peter of now—the Peter who killed someone like himself, who lost Ria, the one who had affirmed him—
“I must be… a strange person.”
Or rather, could he even be called a person anymore?
—You crazy bastard!
—Blasphemous scum!
—Call the Inquisitor!
Those like us, different from them, have always been subjects of rejection, not understanding.
【The seal is released.】
【Essence – <Evil> awakens.】
Having broken the seal and reclaimed his original <Evil>, he was no longer bound by things like grief or vengeance.
—What I believe in… is the goodness within you.
Even so, Peter headed toward the Imperial Palace.
Step. Step. Step…
As he walked through the silent night, Peter suddenly asked himself.
“…Why?”
Why do I want to kill the Empress?
Because Ria took me in?
Because Ria accepted me?
Because I hate the Empress for killing Ria?
—What do you mean why? You know too, don’t you?
—We were always meant to be this way.
At the sudden echo of Fadel’s answer, Peter’s unfocused gaze shimmered faintly.
“…I see.”
It’s just because I want to kill the Empress.
That’s why I’ll kill her.
A burden lifted from his heart.
“…Oh, God.”
Please, just grant me a little more mercy—at least until I kill the Empress.
Peter quickened his pace.
2.
Nahan had learned a new fact over the past few days spent with Reina.
That was—
“Hic… Sister… It’s not… I really didn’t…”
—That Reina cried in her sleep.
Whenever that happened, Nahan would silently hold her hand.
“What a pitiful person. Someone who lost her family, took the blame for a crime she didn’t commit, was branded with dishonor, and then kept losing things again because of that dishonor…”
To that murmuring, Kassler, who had approached unnoticed, commented bluntly.
“Peter has departed.”
A voice devoid of emotion.
Nahan nodded, retrieved his sword, then turned toward Kassler and asked.
“She lost everything because she had no power.”
“…”
“She was blamed for crimes she didn’t commit just for her bloodline. That brought her disgrace. And that disgrace led to more loss.”
Nahan knew.
He knew about Kassler’s past and the regrets he left behind.
That’s why he made the decision.
“I believe you, Kassler, would at least give that poor girl a chance to explain herself.”
Once Peter is subdued, Kassler would be assigned to guard the Empress.
Facing Nahan’s gaze, Kassler asked stiffly.
“Is that an order?”
“It’s not, but—”
“In that case, I refuse. If you do make it an order, then I will walk away.”
After that firm reply—
Kassler, who had set a barrier around Reina, turned away indifferently and warned:
“Please don’t break the promise we made that day.”
“Yeah. As long as you keep following my orders like we agreed that day.”
A fleeting exchange of glances.
With a faint smile from Nahan, Kassler sighed briefly and opened his mouth.
“Order received. I will protect the Empress while you fight Peter. Beginning execution.”
“I’m counting on you, Kassler.”
“…Cold Heart, as ever.”
“That’s right— Cold Heart Kassler.”
Finally, the stage was set.
“See you soon.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Rather than heading for the door, Nahan approached the window, wrapped himself in darkness, and leapt out.
Objective: Convince Peter.
Estimated difficulty.
【Warning.】
【Peter’s seal is released.】
【Essence – <Evil> awakens.】
【Due to the skill <Faith Harvest (SSS+)>, his rank is temporarily elevated.】
【<Peter (SSS+)> → <Peter (EX-)>】
Extremely difficult.
3.
Meanwhile, at the new hideout of the <Black Wolf> Mercenary Corps—
“Sisterw! Any new orders?”
“Standby.”
The location was a run-down inn on the verge of collapse, nestled just within the center of the capital.
“Okay! You heard that, Han-Ryang? What should we do for fun today?”
“…Damn, I didn’t think there could be someone more annoying than that lady.”
“What!? Rock-paper-scissors with a mirror!? Sounds fun!! Let’s go right now, Han-Ryang!!”
“…Understood.”
Having completed all of Black Wolf’s missions, the members passed their time in various ways while awaiting new orders.
“Ruby. I’m thinking of stopping by the Mercenary Alliance.”
“I’ll go with you.”
While most members blended together as if used to such routines, there was only one person who clearly felt uncomfortable.
She was Yuria, the Saint of Mercy.
“…Senior Punisher.”
Ever since Peter ran away, Yuria had been left alone and spent most of her time inside.
If she were like Ruby or Dalan, she might have been able to go out. But having awakened as a Saint, she stood out far too much, and so she was forced to remain at home.
“Rock-paper-scissors!!”
“…Understood?”
“Of course I lost again!”
Han-Ryang and Luna were always doing something foolish.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, Dalan.”
Ruby and Dalan were always gathering information.
“…”
Lactea always spent her time meditating or interrogating the captured Flora.
Likewise, Black Wolf was busy.
Kassler was busy.
Peter had run away.
As someone who joined the <Black Wolf> Mercenary Corps four years later than the others, the only place Yuria had left was here—
Peter’s room.
“Senior Punisher… Why did you have to go and defy God…”
He committed a great sin—there was no way she could defend him.
‘But even if I could defend him, would I have done so?’
With that subtle question rising in her mind, Yuria sighed and twisted her whole body in frustration.
In the end, they were all sinners.
They all had their circumstances, sure, but the <Black Wolf> Mercenary Corps was a place where criminals who had taken lives gathered.
‘Just like there’s no grave without a story, I’m sure Senior Punisher-nim had his reasons for doing what he did.’
But still—
‘That doesn’t erase the crimes I, the other members, or Senior Punisher committed.’
With that, Yuria felt at peace.
Thud!
“Gah! D-Damn it… my little toooooe…!!”
Until she twisted her body and accidentally kicked Peter’s desk.
Crash!
“Kyaaaack!!”
A bag tumbled over from the impact, and its contents spilled out.
Flutter.
Among the scattered items, one old envelope landed right in front of Yuria’s eyes.
It looked aged, yet had clearly never been opened.
Yuria thought.
Peter = committed a great sin = purged = ownerless belongings = currently bored.
“Ownerless belongings belong to whoever picks them up.”
Crrrk!
Flip!
“What is it? A love letter? A family letter? If it’s something nice, I’ll have it engraved on Senior Punisher’s gravestone.”
And so, Yuria began to read the letter.
.
.
.
A few minutes later.
“Vice-Captain. I’m going out for a bit. If you refuse, I will fight you.”
“?”
“Grgh…! I-I mean it…?! I’ve even written out a challenge letter, seriously…!!”
“?”
Lactea received a challenge letter.
